


Deny Your Maker

by BeepBeepTimeToFloat



Category: IT (2017)
Genre: Blood Kink, Blood and Gore, Brief F/F/M, Choking, F/M, Face-Sitting, Femdom moments, Human Pennywise (IT), Mating Season, Monster Dick, Monster sex, Oral Sex, Pennywise knows how to give a good dickin', Public Sex, Rough Sex, SMUTTY SMUT, She's a badass, Slow Build, Strong Female Characters, Teasing, Tongue Fucking, Voyeurism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-10
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2019-01-31 09:30:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 44,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12679131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeepBeepTimeToFloat/pseuds/BeepBeepTimeToFloat
Summary: Lara has been living in the town of Derry with a dark secret. A certain sewer-dwelling clown wakes up and is determined to figure out what that secret is, finding a potential mate in the process.SEQUEL COMING SOON!





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> God damn right, you should be scared of me.
> 
> Halsey, "Control".

January 13th

There was a certain… feeling, in the air. It came around in January, usually. Only the longtime residents and old folks really felt it. A harsher gust of wind walking home in the evening. A screech from any remaining birds in the area. A howl from the woods. Most noticed nothing; parents continued fussing over bills and making dinner. Children played with their new toys they received for Christmas. But that feeling came like clockwork almost every three decades. It was Death, its long, icy fingers curling tightly around the small town of Derry.  
Deep from within the Earth, something was waking from a long slumber. Those living near 29 Neibolt Street could hear the screech and would swear up and down that some poor animal had met its end on the railroad tracks nearby, completely unaware of what was coming to haunt them. The old house was branded nothing more than a crack den, an eye sore that the town had yet to deal with; a place that mothers would warn their children to stay away from.  
On this particular night, the howl had been heard, and if anyone was inside that old house on Neibolt Street, they would have heard the scratching of claws on stone; an ancient evil was surfacing, pulling itself out of the bowels where it resided. Hooked nails attached to long, gray fingers gripped the edges of the decrepit well that sat in the basement and soon enough a large head emerged, with bright orange hair that stood up. Beneath the head was a massive body and tall, slender legs that propelled the creature up. Standing in the dirty basement, It twisted Its body around at awkward angles while the sounds of bones popping and joints cracking echoed throughout the desolate room. With one final spin, bright yellow eyes snapped open and jagged teeth pushed through stale gums painfully. It always hurt after being asleep for so long. Thousands of years of doing it, yet the ache was always there. It hissed through the teeth, exhaling before drawing in a deep breath. The fresh smell of fear, hurt, lust, anxiety, joy, anger, and a myriad of other emotions came flying at the trained nose. The eyes rolled back, the head tilted, and It shuttered at the semi-erotic feeling. But, something wasn’t right. There was another smell among the usual bunch, one that It couldn’t decipher. It grunted in frustration, the moment ruined by this new puzzle. In a flash, It was gone, flying through a space that the human eye would never see, searching for the first meal of the New Year. 

Lara was at work when she felt the change in the atmosphere. She paid little attention to it, though the hairs on the back of her neck prickled instinctively. Her eyes lifted from away from the corpse she was touching up, scanned the room, and upon seeing that everything appeared to be in order, she returned her attention to the late Mr. Walters. She had bathed him, dressed him, and was currently attempting to cover the bruises from the unfortunate car wreck that he’d been in. A bit of foundation and he was back to normal—at least as normal as a corpse could look—and she gave him just a bit of color on his cheeks before calling it good.  
A clang! behind her caused the woman to twist around, heart pounding, “Who’s there?”  
“Lara—” a voice came from in front of her and she jumped nearly off the stool she was sitting on as she clutched her chest. When she saw that it was only the owner of the funeral home, she calmed.  
“Jeez, Mr. Lawrence,” she gasped out, “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”  
The old man chuckled, “I’m terribly sorry, but at least I can cut you a deal on a premier coffin.”  
Lara forced out a laugh, “Was there anything you needed, Mr. Lawrence?”  
“No, no. I was just coming down to check on you before locking up,” he replied.  
“Well, I’m almost done here. Just need to clean up this mess and then he’ll be ready,” she said, glancing down at Mr. Walters laying peacefully in front of her.  
“Would you like any help? I’d be happy to take care of some of this,” Mr. Lawrence offered, looking around at the makeup that was scattered, the surgical instruments strewn about, and the stainless-steel container that held what could only be described as what was previously Mr. Walters’ insides.  
Lara saw his gaze land of the container and hurriedly spoke, “Oh no, Mr. Lawrence. I can do all this. I’d be happy to lock up if you’d like to head out early.”  
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” Mr. Lawrence chuckled, handing Lara the keys before turning on his heel to leave, “See you in the morning, Lara!”  
“See you,” Lara mumbled, happy to see him go. Once again, she looked to the container, eyeing the contents. She absentmindedly dipped a finger into the thick blood and fleshy organs before snapping from her trance and retracting her hand. Clearing her throat, she shook her head as if to focus, and began picking up before wheeling Mr. Walters into the opposite room. She sterilized her instruments, which in her mind seemed futile, seeing as the only bodies they were used on couldn’t exactly die from an infection, but she kept her opinions to herself. Finally, she walked over to the window and looked out. In the setting sun, she could see that Mr. Lawrence’s Oldsmobile was gone and that the coast was clear. From the closet, she removed a bucket that she’d hidden in there when she arrived that morning, and into it she dumped the corpse’s insides. She placed the bucket carefully into a trash bag and tied it several times. Hanging her rubber apron and disposing of her gloves, she and her trash bag made their way to her car, where she placed the bag on the floor of the passenger’s side.  
Her body shivered as she waited for the car to heat up, driving regardless. All she wanted to do was to get home, the hunger in her belly gnawing at her insides. The town was quiet as she drove through it, occasionally waving to someone who recognized her. It didn’t take long for her to arrive at her home, an old house that nobody quite knew how she afforded. Some claimed it had been left to her by an old family member, though they couldn’t think of anyone in Derry who was related to her. Others said she must have been a millionaire in disguise. No one outwardly questioned her about it, but she was aware of the gossiping. Though she had become acquainted with a few people in the town, she was still very much an outsider. Derry was a clique that she had yet to penetrate. It didn’t bother her in the slightest.  
What did bother her was what she saw when she pulled into her driveway. That goddamn Kaspbrak kid was in her backyard, again. It wasn’t that she hated him, really, but the idea of someone poking around on her property made her bristle with anxiety. She didn’t need him yapping to his mental mother and having more rumors start. Lara climbed from her vehicle and slammed the door, but it didn’t catch his attention. He was engrossed with something that she couldn’t quite make out from where she was. She began walking towards him and suddenly she could see what he was staring at. At the edge of the woods in her backyard was a…clown? She blinked a few times to make sure that she was seeing it correctly. Yes, it was a clown. Tall and lanky, in an off-white costume with tufts of red hair. He appeared to be talking to the Kaspbrak kid while one hand clutched a single, red balloon, as if he was offering it to him. Meanwhile the kid stood like a statue in the snow, the only sign he was alive were the puffs of air floating up from his mouth. Lara began walking towards the two of them, her boots crunching on the frozen earth.  
“Hey!” she shouted to them. The clown’s head snapped up to look at her and Eddie spun around, big brown eyes looking wider still as his chest heaved. Poor kid looked like he was about to have a heart attack.  
“Miss Greene!” he called to her. The clown remained silent, his gaze locked on the woman approaching.  
“Eddie, what did I tell you about playing in my yard?” Lara was ready to scold the boy as she got beside him, but the look of pure terror on his face made her falter. She looked over at the clown, who was clearer now that she was closer. He was daunting still, looking as though he was nearly seven feet tall with two sharp-looking buckteeth hanging over full, red lips. She didn’t like the way his eyes were looking at her, following her every movement, “And just who the hell are you?”  
Eddie looked back and forth between Lara and the clown several times, eventually stepping behind her before whispering, “You can see it too?”  
“Of course, I can see him, and he’s going to get a shotgun shell in his ass if he doesn’t get the hell off my property,” Lara said as she stared defiantly at the uninvited visitor. His grin only widened and he shut his eyes, taking a deep breath through his nose and exhaling.  
“So, you’re the one,” he whispered, but the voice felt as though it came from inside her head, making her brow furrow.  
“You need to leave, now,” she warned, “I’m not going to tell you again.”  
The clown pouted his lips before bowing dramatically, “Very well. I’ll be seeing you soon, Eddie.”  
With that, he receded back into the woods, taking his balloon with him. Eddie was shaking so bad that Lara could feel his tremors, and she turned to him, “Do you know that man?”  
“Uh-uh!” Eddie shook his head furiously, “I was walking home and I saw him in your yard. He called to me and asked me if I wanted a balloon. Then you showed up.”  
Lara glanced to the woods again where the clown had disappeared and sighed. She didn’t exactly love the kid poking around, but he looked like he’d about shit his pants, “Well, are you alright?”  
“Yeah, I’m okay,” he said, but she could hear his voice shaking still.  
“Would you like me to walk you back home, Eddie?” she offered.  
“Y-Yes, please,” he mumbled softly. Lara chuckled and turned with him, walking out of her yard and back to the sidewalk in front of her home. Eddie lived a few houses down across the street. They strolled slowly, feeling the wind at their backs send chills through their bodies. Eddie jammed his hands into his pockets and kept his eyes down at the pavement. Lara looked at him from the corner of her eye and couldn’t help but think that he resembled a miniature adult more than a kid. Mrs. Kaspbrak was a single mother, so it wasn’t surprising that Eddie had grown up fast, even if he was still pint-sized. They reached the stairs that led to his porch and he climbed them eagerly, pleased to be back in a place that was familiar.  
“Hey, Eddie. Do me a favor and stay away from those woods. That guy seemed a little weird, and with all the disappearances, it would probably keep both me and your mother happy if you just steered clear, okay?” Lara chose her words carefully, not wanting to traumatize this kid any more than he already was.  
“Okay, Miss Greene, I will,” he nodded. Lara watched him enter his home before she began the walk back to her own. By now, her stomach was aching from the hunger she felt. When she got back, she removed the trash bag from her car and walked up onto her porch before freezing where she stood, mid-step. Floating ominously in front of her door was a red balloon quite similar to the one the mystery clown had been holding. She let out a growl and snatched it, spinning around to look at the street. It was deserted, not a soul in sight. Putting the trash bag down, she took the balloon in both hands and dug her nails into it until it popped loudly, making her ears ring. She tossed the discarded rubber off her porch and glared angrily at the street once more before entering her home, locking the door tightly behind her. She missed the two glowing, orange eyes watching her from the sewer, crinkling at the corners as their owner let out a delighted chuckle.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Running through the parking lot, he chased me and he wouldn't stop.  
> Tag, you're it. Tag, tag, you're it.   
> Grabbed my hair, pushed me down, took the words right out my mouth.  
> Tag, you're it.
> 
> Melanie Martinez, "Tag, You're It".

January 13th 

 

Determined to put the incident in the yard out of her mind, Lara walked with the trash bag straight into her kitchen. She placed it in the sink and left it there while she did her rounds; she checked each window, making sure that the blinds were pulled tightly down in every room on the bottom floor of her home. On nights that she had been particularly paranoid, she’d checked the upstairs too, but tonight she was in no mood. She climbed the stairs to her bedroom and went straight to the large safe that was in the back of her closet. Nimble fingers spun the dial back and forth, the clicking of it calming her nerves significantly. She loved the sound of the safe opening. It meant one thing: dinner. Inside of it, she removed a tightly wrapped bundle. Toeing off her shows, she left them in the closet and pushed the safe door shut with her foot. Back down the stairs she went, straight into her the bathroom off her kitchen. Closing the door, she removed the jeans and t-shirt that she wore and replaced them with the white tank top and shorts that were wrapped in the bundle. It was freeing, much more relaxing to be in these clothes than her work ones. The tank top was thin and worn down to nothing due to excessive washing and bleaching. Regardless, it still had large, pink stains where it hadn’t come completely clean. 

Dressed in her dinner attire, she left the bathroom and went back into her kitchen. She unfurled the tarp that held her clothes and spread it across the floor, smoothing down each corner. From the sink, she removed the trash bag and placed it in the center, tearing through the knots to expose the syrupy contents of the bucket. She discarded the bag and knelt in front of the bucket, shutting her eyes. Exhaling slowly through her nose, she let her body relax and soon felt the familiar pain in her hands and mouth. Her skin turned from the normal tan hue to a dark gray, appearing almost scaly. The fingers grew dramatically in length, long claws protruding from the tips. Rows of razor sharp fangs filled her mouth and her eyes rolled over into complete blackness. She panted as she inhaled the smell of the entrails in the bucket and dove into them, claws and teeth ripping through the flesh. Sickly squishing sounds radiated off the walls as she devoured her meal, blood splattering the floor and her body. An inhuman snarl shot out of her throat and caught the attention of a similar being skulking about in the woods behind her home once again. 

The orange eyes turned in the direction of the sound and the legs carried the body towards it, recognizing the house. A grin spread across Its face as It approached, searching for a window that It would be able to peek through. Of course, had he really wanted to, he could have simply entered the home, but that seemed somehow… rude. It was unlike him to be concerned with pleasantries but he knew that he clearly was dealing with something on a different level from the usual meat sack. Just what that something was, though, he couldn’t be sure. As he found yet another window covered with blinds, the smell of blood, fresh blood no less, hit his senses, sending him into a frenzy. He had to find out what was going on in that house. Grunting, he ran around the front of the house to the porch.

Lara’s head snapped up as she heard a knock on her front door. Blacked out eyes darted back and forth. Great, she thought, the neighbors must think I’m being murdered. There was another loud knock and she growled angrily, swallowing the last remnants of her meal before wrapping the tarp around the bucket. Into the mess, she tossed her bloody clothes and pushed it all into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Hanging on the wall outside of it was her robe, and she slipped into it as she smoothed her hair out. Claws retracted, teeth disappeared, and color seeped back into her flesh as she called out, “Coming!”

She swung the door open and was faced with a stranger, a man who towered over her. He had sandy brown hair and green eyes that were more focused on staring into her home than addressing her. She cleared her throat and kept the door close to her body to limit how easily he could see inside, “Can I help you?”

“Hello ma’am, my name is Robert, and I was wondering if you had a moment to talk about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?” the deep voice came from within his chest as he spoke, but the smile he gave didn’t appear genuine. It was more of a smirk that would be seen when laughing about a joke. Lara fought the urge to recoil and hiss at the name, straining to keep her composure. 

“I’ve already been saved,” she snapped at him, readying the door to be slammed in his face. How dare anyone interrupt her dinner, especially someone trying to baptize her? She attempted to close the door, but something stopped her, and when she looked down she saw that something was a foot. Her patience already worn thin, she yanked the door open a bit and snarled, allowing her eyes to roll to black again. Was it risky? Of course it was, but even if he ran to every newspaper in the state, it was a zealot’s word against an innocent, law abiding citizen’s. She grabbed him by the tie and pulled his face close, forcing him to stare into those black holes in her skull. 

“You really think you can save me, apostle?” her voice came out deep and distorted, and a brief grin flashed her ever-sharpening teeth. She watched, pleased as his eyes widened and he backed away from her grasp, bolting down the porch steps and nearly tripping. A deep laugh erupted from her chest, echoing down the street. Her face slowly shifted back into its human form, leaving her sneering at the lanky man as he ran away. Scoffing, she slammed the door and turned her attention to cleaning up the dinner dishes.

Down the street, the tall man came to a halt from his running and placed his hands on his hips, pushing the black jacket he wore aside to expose a trim torso clothed in a white button down. The green eyes pulsated to blue to orange and back to green repeatedly as the creature reeled, trying to figure out what exactly It had just witnessed. It had known that there was something different about her, the smell had hit him instantly when It awoke and then again when she interrupted his evening snack. However, It had not thought that she was otherworldly, as It was. A sudden feeling of anger bubbled up through the body right up into his throat. This… thing, whatever she was, was on his turf. Derry belonged to It. Who was she to come sniffing around like a stray dog? That just wouldn’t do. Not one bit. His teeth bared as he thought of how he’d just run away from her in fear. It wasn’t real, of course. It was an act. Just an act. Still, the creature scolded himself, because deep down he knew he had felt just a touch of the real thing. She was a threat that had to be eliminated, simple as that. 

 

January 14th 

 

The following day, Lara had trudged to work as she always did, slightly wary about the events of the previous night. Her blood lust had made her bolder, too bold, and now she had to hope that there wouldn’t be repercussions because of a temporary lapse in judgement. Mr. Lawrence had yet to arrive, so she let herself in. The building was cold and she bumped the heat up, knowing the old man would grumble about it if he came in and had to keep his jacket on. Mr. Walters’ wake was earlier than most, and she had to prepare the room for it. Mr. Lawrence was a good man, but he was aging and it would just be faster if she did the work herself. Dusting off the curtains, she tidied and swept. She set up the chairs in rows starting at the front of the room and going all the way to the back. From the fridges, she removed all the flowers that the florist sent over and set them up on their stands and pedestals. The shuffling figure of Mr. Lawrence appeared in the doorway and he took his hat off, holding it to his chest. 

“This looks wonderful, Lara! I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he gushed, making the smaller woman smile. The last thing she did was bring Mr. Walters himself up from the basement and centered him at the front of the room. She opened the lid to his coffin and examined him for a moment, admiring his stillness. It was something she greatly desired, to simply have peace. It was this desire that had led her to Derry in the first place, and for the most part, she had found it. 

Mr. Lawrence reappeared, straightening his tie and clothing. Outside, they heard a car approach and walked out to the entryway. Three individuals walked in; a frail old woman who sobbed and held a kerchief to her mouth and a young woman with a child on her hip. Mr. Lawrence placed a gentle hand on her shoulders and led her into the room that Lara prepared. She followed the people silently with her hands clasped behind her back. The widow stared into the coffin, crying quietly, as did the young woman. Lara’s eyes met those of the toddler clinging to its mother and though she smiled, the small child frowned and burst into tears. The mother consoled her and the widow turned, stretching her arms out to Lara. 

“Thank you, Miss,” she said, sniffling, “He looks wonderful.”

“Of course,” Lara said softly and nodded her head, giving the woman a small hug before leaving the room. Mr. Lawrence followed shortly after. 

“Lara, why don’t you take the rest of the day off? You’ve helped me greatly, and I can handle moving the body when the wake is over,” he said quietly to her.

“Are you sure? I don’t mind staying,” she offered, but he shook his head. 

“Go, have some fun. You work too hard, kid,” he chuckled, patting her back and going back into the room with the family. Lara shrugged to herself and went to the closet, slipping her coat on before heading to her car. Sitting beside it in the parking lot was a small cat, speckled with orange and white, flicking its tail as it stared at her. She stared back, surprised that it didn’t scurry away when she approached. Animals weren’t her biggest fans. Neither were children. Perhaps they could see what laid beneath the fleshy facade. She wasn’t entirely sure. Regardless, this cat stared up at her and meowed loudly. 

“Shoo,” she said, waving her hands at it. The cat simply meowed again and got up, rubbing against her leg. Sighing, she picked it up and it snuggled closely to her, pressing its face into the valley between her breasts to purr loudly. 

“Would you like to come home with me?” she cooed, earning an affirmative meow. Chuckling to herself, she opened the car door and placed the cat in her lap to start the engine. It sat happily there as she drove, the only sound the loud purr from its chest. When she pulled into her driveway, she glanced into the backyard, noting that, thankfully, it appeared to be clear of any strange clowns. Her newfound friend leapt from her lap when she opened the car door and strode right up the stairs to the house, as if it was already familiar with it. Lara followed it, unlocking the door and watching as it ran inside, sniffing here or there while exploring. She dropped her keys into the bowl on the table beside the door and kicked off her shoes, pleased with the fact that she had some time to herself. 

“Want some milk?” she asked the cat as it examined the kitchen. It sniffed at the bathroom door that remained shut, taking a seat in front of it and meowing loudly. It turned its head to her as if to say, ‘What’s in here?’

Lara removed a bowl from the cupboard and poured some milk into it, placing it on the floor near the cat. Though her appetite was slightly more… exotic, she had to keep up appearances, and part of that was going to the grocery store every once and a while. She saw the cat still fixated on the door and huffed, “You don’t need to go in there.”  
It hissed at her, and she chuckled at how responsive the tiny creature was. She shook her head and went upstairs to her bedroom. The cat sniffed at the milk for a moment before running up the stairs after her. It found her in her room, slipping out of her clothes, and jumped onto the bed. The orange eyes stared intently as she let her shirt and dress pants slip to the floor. She walked over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of shorts and a tank top, unclipping her bra before dressing. The cat meowed loudly and she spun around, shirt still hiked up over her bare chest. 

“What is your deal?” she asked, pulling her shirt down the rest of the way. She left the room and went back downstairs, ready to park herself in front of the TV for some mind-numbing relaxation.

 

Night had fallen, and Lara was still lounging about. The cat grew bored with her uneventful afternoon and evening. Even climbing on her chest and sleeping on the two pert breasts had lost its novelty. It had explored as much of the house as it could, but she kept it tightly locked down and there was nothing left to see. Now she was half-sleep in front of the television with her guard down. The cat jumped up onto the mantle where the TV was mounted to the wall. Instantly, Lara snapped awake. 

“Hey! No, no! You get down from there right now!” she snapped her fingers and pointed to the floor, but the cat simply hissed at her, “You get down right now.”

Her voice was low and angry, but the cat was unafraid and growled ominously at her. Lara huffed, glaring at the creature before shouting again “Get down!”

The cat jumped into the air towards her as if it would attack her, but she felt no impact. Instead, standing before her was the seven-foot-tall clown, grinning. Her eyes widened in shock, her mouth drying as she put the pieces together. Beneath her skin, her scales and claws bristled, threatening to pop out at any moment, but she fought them. It was still as a statue, eyeing her like she was his next meal. 

“Why, hello there Lara! Thank you ever so much for bringing me inside, it was getting so cold out there!” his voice was sing-songy, raising and lowering in such strange places that he seemed like he had barely spoken English before. 

“And just who the hell are you?” she questioned, forcing herself to remain calm. She leaned back against the couch, stretching her arms out to appear relaxed. The clown twitched ever so slightly, but she caught it.

“Me? Oh, I’m Pennywise! Pennywise the Dancing Clown!” he gave a little shake and Lara could hear bells attached to his costume jingle. 

“Pennywise the Dancing Clown,” she mused, chuckling softly, “Okay Pennywise, can I ask why you’re in my living room, pretending to be a cat?”

The grin that was on his face faltered. The two buck teeth were now hundreds of needles that filled his mouth. Innocent blue eyes burned into orange ones and from the white silken gloves long, black claws ripped through, much like her own. His hulking form lumbered closer to her until the drool leaking from his mouth almost hit her bare legs. 

“I’m ready for my dinner,” he snarled, the playful tone replaced with one that she recognized as one that she utilized on occasion. In a swift motion, he raised an enormous hand and swung it at her. However, the blow didn’t land, much to the clown’s dismay. Instead, another clawed hand, one with gray, scaly skin, caught it. The black eyes burned holes into his orange ones as she twisted his wrist around until the bones snapped audibly, forcing a pained cry from his mouth. Her lips quivered as she bared her teeth to the creature who dared come at her in her own home. 

“And I am ready for mine,” she said to him as she pulled him close before shoving him away with such force that he landed in a heap against the wall beneath the television. A giggle escaped his lips as he stood back up. She raised herself up, and though she was nowhere near as tall as him, she cut a frightening figure. Her feet were hooked with thick, black talons and her scales shimmered in the light as she cracked her bones. A throaty growl resounded from her heaving chest as she stared him down. The clown smirked and snapped his fingers, disappearing instantly. Lara spun around, letting out a frustrated cry and she tried to locate him. Her feet clicked against the floor as she stepped around the living room. Suddenly, she felt a warm liquid drip onto her left shoulder. Looking up, she saw the clown, contorting his body into a bone-breaking position as he clung to the ceiling. He pounced onto her, mouth wide and snarling. They landed in a pile on the floor, Pennywise pinning her to the floor as he sat atop her waist. 

“Sorry little one, but there’s only enough food in this town for one creature of the night, and I’ve got dibs,” he giggled before his jaw unhinged, displaying the layers and layers of teeth that were aimed for her throat. Lara struggled against him, thrashing as he lowered his face closer to her. He stopped abruptly, breath catching in his throat and sending a spray of sticky saliva over her face and chest. The mouth re-hinged and the orange eyes looked down at the gray barb protruding through his chest. Lara’s tail twitched inside his frame before she violently ripped it out, taking bits and pieces of the clown’s flesh with it. His grip on her faltered, giving her the window of opportunity needed to free herself. She brought her head up and crashed it into his massive one, and he flopped to the floor, sputtering. Her lithe body jumped onto him, pinning him in the position that he had her in just moments ago. She gripped his throat with her clawed fingers, digging the nails into his neck until black blood oozed over her hands.

“Get the fuck out of my house,” she hissed at him, watching as his orange eyes bugged from his huge head.

Pennywise watched in shock as the creature on top of him sauntered off to the corner of the room, perching on the table to watch him. Slowly, he sat up and stared at her in disbelief. She was letting him go? It made no sense. As much as he hated admitting it, she had bested him. She had earned the right to finish him off, but she chose not to. His fingers clutched the hole in his chest as he willed it to close. He would need to feed, which would be difficult in his condition. With a final growl, he fled her home through the kitchen drain and retreated to his lair to lick his wounds. 

Lara allowed her body to shift back into its human form and she flopped back onto the couch painfully. She ached, their brief scuttle taking a lot out of her. It had been a long time since she’d had to fight like that and it showed her just how out of shape she was. She would be in trouble had a real threat posed itself to her. Pennywise wasn’t a threat, more like a mere inconvenience. Suddenly she felt herself begin to laugh, little giggles turning into hearty laughs that made her body hurt even more. A killer clown pretended to be a cat to break into her home to try to kill her. The sheer ridiculousness of it all was almost too much for her. Dense motherfucker had no clue that she had no plans to interfere with is food supply. Perhaps if he had bothered to ask he could have avoided a gaping hole in his chest. She felt just a slight tinge of guilt for wounding him so bad. He had come at her though, and she would never cower in the face of a threat. Sighing, she got up and cleaned up the mess that they had made before dragging herself upstairs to pass out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While the sun he sleeps in shadows we can hide  
> On the mountainside we spent our time together  
> But it is gone when morning comes.
> 
> Oh Land, "Wolf & I"

January 15th

The following day Lara called Mr. Lawrence and explained that she had come down with some kind of stomach bug; she’d need a few days off to recover. He agreed, telling her to take the rest of the week, which she was grateful for. The only problem was that now she needed to eat, and had just cut herself off from the supply. Angrily, she pulled a bottle of blood from the fridge that she kept as a backup and chugged it. Anything to ease the ache in her belly. She had struggled to sleep the night before, regardless of how bad she wanted to. Her mind kept going back to Pennywise. She didn’t pretend to understand what he was, because had he been one of her own she’d have sniffed it out immediately. They seemed to have the same basic needs though, food and shelter. He was reacting to a threat to his livelihood, which she could understand to a degree. It was wrong to just assume that she was going to steal his food without even talking to her, though. Still, she felt the need to make amends. 

She spent the better part of the day tracking his scent, a mixture of cotton candy and old blood. He had escaped through her sink, so she began checking out the storm drains. Eventually she caught his smell and followed it all the way to a place known in Derry as ‘The Barrens’. There, she found a large drainpipe where his smell continued into. Next, she would have to procure a peace offering. 

 

Nighttime in the sleazier areas of Derry meant that degenerates would be flocking to the bars for an evening of inebriation and shenanigans. Lara dressed herself in a cleavage-heavy black dress and heels and found a little hole-in-the-wall bar just by The Barrens. When she walked inside she nearly gagged on the stench of stale cigarettes and vomit. Every head in the bar turned when she strode up the bartender and ordered a whiskey; every cock twitched as she downed the amber liquid in one gulp and swiped the residue off her lip with her thumb. From there, all she had to do was wait for the right one to come walking up. Within fifteen minutes, a pot-bellied forty-something with a bald spot and pit stains sauntered over to her as if he was her Lord and Savior, ready to provide her a lay unlike any she had every experienced. 

“Howdya do?” he hiccupped softly as he tried to speak and Lara resisted the urge to roll her eyes. 

“Great now that you’re here,” she flirted, flashing her pearly teeth. He raised his brows in surprise and chuckled, leaning in a little closer to her. She could smell the booze and rotting teeth from the inside of his mouth as he panted. 

“I gotta say, I’d love to get you home,” he said brashly, and hoped that she wouldn’t be scared off. She wasn’t. 

“Why wait to get home?” she whispered in his ear, feeling his straining heart pound in his chest, “Meet me across the street in ten minutes.”

He nodded knowingly and winked. She smiled wickedly and left the bar, walking over to the grass and barrier that divided the road from the steep fall into the stream below, waiting. He took so long that Lara feared he’d forgotten about her, but he came stumbling out eventually, laughing loudly at some unknown joke. She kept her back to him as he got closer until he announced his presence with a loud burp. He placed a thick hand on her shoulder and mumbled incoherently. She spun around rapidly, grinning.

“Hello, lover,” she hissed, her eyes blacked out and a thin fork tongue slithering between her fangs.

“Jesus Christ!” he shouted, but before he could run, she had him in her clutches, tossing him over the barrier down the hill. Trees crunched and twigs snapped as he tumbled down, down, down. Lara stepped over the metal between herself and the drop, letting two gray, leathery wings rip through the back of her dress. She jumped over the edge and glided down the incline, following the smell of cheap cologne and piss until she found him crumpled up by the water. Just down a bit was the entrance that she’d tracked Pennywise to, and after shifting into her natural form completely, she grabbed hold of the man’s legs with her talons to fly up the small stream, letting his head bounce against the stones. 

The drainpipe was too narrow for her to fly through unfortunately, so she took hold of the man’s shirt and dragged him behind her as the sound of her nails on the metal echoed throughout. Every now and then he would groan or cough, but for the most part he stayed silent. Pennywise’s smell grew stronger the deeper she got into the sewers, and after what felt like hours, she found his dwelling. The sewer opened into a cistern with several pipes draining into it. In the center of it was a massive pile of trash, but open further inspection she saw that it was comprised mostly of children’s toys and belongings. In the side of it was a large stage with the words “PENNYWISE THE DANCING CLOWN” painted ornately on the front, though it was empty. Lara knew she had found the right place. She let the ingrate flop to the ground, digging a clawed toe into his shoulder. He shouted in pain and she kicked his head, knocking him unconscious. The clown was nowhere to be seen though, and she felt the hunger in her stomach grow worse. Determined to wait for him, she began scanning the dark room in hopes of spotting him. Eventually, her eyes landed on a pair of orange ones watching her through pupils that were slits. He was sitting in a drainpipe with his legs crossed, scowling at her. She dragged the drunkard over to where he was sitting and let him land with a thud! in front of him. The orange eyes glanced at the man for a moment before landing back on Lara, narrower than before. 

“What is this?” his sing-song voice back as he questioned her, “A peace offering?”

“Just shut up and eat or else I’ll do it myself,” Lara snarled. Pennywise huffed for a moment, considering, and then slid out of the drainpipe. He crouched in front of the man, slapping him with his gloved hand until he came to. Slowly, his eyes opened and focused. He took one look at the enormous clown hovering over him and screamed in terror. Pennywise’s head fell back and his jaw went slack as he inhaled. Lara watched with fascination as once again the jaw unhinged and the rows of teeth protruded through the gums, much like her own did. Perhaps they weren’t so different. 

Pennywise tore into the man, whose howls and pleas went unaddressed until finally he was silenced. Lara salivated as she listened to the bones snap, the muscles tear, the squelching of the blood as Pennywise ripped through the body. Her stomach clenched angrily, eager for a hot meal instead of the leftovers she usually ate. As if reading this, the clown turned to her with blood staining his chin and the ruffles of his costume. 

“Eat,” he said simply, turning his attention back to what he was doing. Lara approached, kneeling opposite of him and began feasting. Neither of them spoke to each other or even acknowledged the other’s existence until the only thing that remained of the drunk were bloody bones and shreds of clothing. Once they were finished, Pennywise got up and stalked over to his stage, plopping down on the floor. Lara watched him and stood as well, allowing her wings to extend fully, stretching them. They flapped, kicking up dirt and grime, and carried her to where the clown was laying down lazily, picking his teeth with a long, black claw. She landed in front of the stage on the pile of toys and furled them, sitting at the edge of the wooden set. 

“You are a strange creature,” he commented after a while, blue eyes flickering to her for a moment before they returned to the ceiling of the stage. 

“How so?” she asked, studying him. 

“First you nearly kill me, then decide to let me live in agony, unable to hunt. Then you seek me out and bring a human for my consumption. And now you sit there and stare at me in silence,” he said, sucking his teeth before abruptly sitting up, “So what do you want?”

Lara furrowed her non-existent brows, “I don’t want anything.”

“Don’t lie,” Pennywise snarled, “I know when you’re lying to me, imp.”

“Imp?” Lara’s scales shifted on her flesh with her anger, “I could kill you if I wanted to, clown, and nearly did. Don’t call me an imp.”

“You are in my den now, little one, and I will call you what I like,” he sneered, though he never said the word again.

“I am over four hundred years old, and I will not be referred to as an imp,” Lara felt her lips quivering with a snarl and fought to control them.

“Oh, look at you, four hundred years old,” Pennywise chuckled before his look grew more serious, “I am older than the entire rock that you are floating on.”

Lara had no comeback to this, for she was in pure awe of the being in front of her. He was unlike anything she had ever known before, “What are you, then? I doubt you’re a dancing clown.”

“I am not of this realm,” he answered after a moment, “Not of this universe.”

She had so many questions to ask, but refrained for now. All in due time. Instead, she asked, “Why are you in Derry, Maine, then? I imagine there are other places that you could be besides some dreary New England town.”

He was done answering questions and averted them, instead firing them back at her, “What are you, then, little one?”

“A demon, previously a guardian to my Father,” Lara explained. Pennywise’s head cocked to the side inquisitively. 

“A demon. I’ve come across a few in my time. I smelled it, but there was something… different,” he said, “Only four hundred… you couldn’t have been one of the original fallen.”

“No, I’m not. Our Father was cast from Heaven, and—” she began the story that had been burned into her brain since birth, but was cut off.

 

“Yes,” he dragged the ‘s’ out and held a hand up, “I am familiar with the mythology of it. I remember watching the battle between Lucifer and the one your adversaries call God. Made for an interesting show.”

Though he gave her no reason to, she believed him. She couldn’t explain her instant trust in this creature whom had tried to kill her the previous night, but she felt it immediately. And even though he was reluctant to admit it, Pennywise felt it too. She intrigued him and it had been far too long since a creature had had that effect on him. 

“Tell me little one, you feast the way I do and presumably hunger the same way. Why do you live in a home, in a human body?” he asked. 

“I control my hunger,” she replied, earning a low rumble from the clown as he studied her face.

“Perhaps we do not hunger the same, then. There is no control over the hunger; I cannot simply turn it off. I feel it constantly,” he explained.

“I feed every few days, usually on scraps from the mortuary where I work,” Lara said, and Pennywise’s nose crinkled in disgust. 

“That’s no way to exist,” he said, crawling towards her slowly, predatorily, “Do you not hunger for the fresh blood? Warm and sticky as it runs down your throat? And the sound of the bones breaking beneath your hands while they cry out?”

Lara felt her chest beginning to heave and her mouth salivate. Pennywise could smell the hunger on her as he drew closer. He grabbed her shoulder and head, pushing it to the side to expose her neck as he inhaled deeply. Her claws immediately dug into his shoulders, but he remained, breathing in her scent before backing up to face her. 

“You do,” his voice was low as a grin spread across his red lips, “I can smell it on you, yet you deny yourself. You deny yourself for the sake of those who God loved more than your Father, and you. Oh yes, an interesting creature indeed.”

Pennywise chuckled to himself and stood up, walking off towards the drainpipe that led to The Barrens. He turned back to her, still smiling, “Should you ever feel the need to indulge yourself, little one, you know where to find me.”

With that, he disappeared, leaving Lara alone in a state of quiet discontent.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh, there it goes, I said too much, it overflowed  
> Why do I always spill?
> 
> Melanie Martinez, "Soap"

January 15th 

Pennywise wandered aimlessly through the pipes of the sewers, having no real inclination to hunt but needing to be away from her. He was growing increasingly uncomfortable about the way she was, the way she acted, the things she said, and even more so with how intrigued he was by her. He knew that there were others like him in this universe; of course, he used the word ‘like’ very loosely. In reality, it was very likely he was the last of his kind in existence anywhere. But there were creatures out there whose main purpose in life was to hunt, terrorize, and kill. He had spent a great deal of time on this floating rock and had met all kinds, including demons. She was the first that didn’t instantly try to kill him or scurry off to hide. He concluded that her time spent living with humanity had changed her, made her soft. Not so soft that she was afraid of you, he thought to himself, because she sat in front of you and laughed. He could feel his blood boil at the thought of their previous encounter and how easily she had gotten the upper hand. Was he losing his touch? He couldn’t be. He had survived for hundreds of millions of years just fine. Nothing on this forsaken planet was going to defeat him, he’d make sure of that. Especially not a tiny creature who was created out of spite for another creature that was also insignificant in the grand scheme of things.   
He couldn’t deny his interest in her, though. She could prove to be useful, explaining things to him about how those above the surface lived and help him become a more efficient hunter. She had hand-delivered him a meal, and even though it wasn’t his usual choice, the sentiment was not lost on him. Deep within himself he could feel something stirring, something that didn’t sit well. It felt like a rock in his gullet that lodged itself in place. He growled, smashing a gloved hand through the metal pipe beside him in anger. 

 

Lara’s head snapped up as she heard a bang so loud it rang in her ears. She wasn’t sure how much longer she was supposed to stay here, if she was supposed to at all. Was he coming back? Did this mean he accepted her peace offering and would leave her alone? She sighed, looking up at the large tower of toys that led to an open ceiling. The room was huge, giving her plenty of room to spread her wings, so to speak. It had been so long since she’d used them; she’d forgotten her love of sailing through the air. She glanced once more towards the entrance that Pennywise had left through, and upon seeing that he was still gone, she stood, clearing herself of anything that she could bang into. Slowly, the leathery wings stretched wide, showing little holes and tears that she’d accumulated over the years. The skin pulled taut, and in the dim light veins could be seen beneath the surface. It felt so good to have them open and free. The clown’s words seeped into her thoughts: Should you ever feel the need to indulge yourself, little one, you know where to find me. Lara flexed the muscles in her wings and flapped them gently at first, lifting herself a couple feet off the ground. She shut her eyes and exhaled, a calm feeling washing over her. She flapped harder and aimed up, moving with such fluidity and grace that had someone seen her, they might have mistaken her for an angel. Her wings circled her around the room, allowing her to inspect the toys that comprised Pennywise’s collection and see the open roof. She couldn’t tell where it led to, and it would be far too risky to get close enough to look out. Back and forth she flew, diving down to the floor just to pull up at the last minute and soar away.

In her fun, she missed the clown emerge from the drainpipe that he’d gone down. He stood in the opening, out of sight and watched as she laughed, tearing through the air in a blur of gray, shimmering flesh. From her he could smell the joy, and as sick as it made him when he smelled it on humans, he didn’t mind it as much on her. It was a dark kind of joy, the kind he got from sniffing out others’ fears. Her joy came from the freedom to be in her true form, terrifying as it was. She liked being able to inspire fear in the hearts of the humans, even if she denied it. The feeling radiated off her in waves, washing over him as he continued watching. He stepped back into sight and she sensed his presence immediately, turning her head to see where he was. From where she was near the top of the toy pile, she dove, aiming at the ground near him. Her wings blasted him with the stale, cold air of the sewer when she got close and brought herself to a hard stop. His hair moved and the ruffles on his costume shook like leaves. Lara’s hooked feet landed on the ground with a quiet click and she retracted her wings. He arched a brow at her. 

“Indulging ourselves, are we?” he smirked darkly. She blew air from her nose in a huff, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“I was taking a stretch,” she dismissed him, but his eyes showed that he knew better, “I need to get going. Are we good?”

The clown regarded her for a moment with a raised chin, staring at her down his nose. With a blink and a shrug, he nodded his head. Lara felt a weight lifted from her shoulders and sighed heavily. She gave a strained grunt and forced her teeth to pull back up into head, claws shrinking down, and scales disappearing in favor of a softer, fleshier exterior. Glancing down, she noticed her dress in shreds and groaned. Pennywise’s eyes fell to the exposed legs, the heavy breasts that threatened to spill out. Lara saw him and growled, turning around and skulking off to the pile behind her. The clown watched her as she dug through his collection, tossing things aside in her quest. In a few long strides, he was beside her.

“What are you doing?” he asked, eyes glued to her frame.

“What does it look like I’m doing? I need clothes that aren’t torn to bits so I don’t get arrested for public indecency,” she snapped, finding nothing of use in his pile of junk, “You mean to tell me in all this stuff you haven’t got a single jacket?”

He stared at her for another moment before disappearing around the other side of the pile. Lara continued digging and coming up with nothing. Why hadn’t she thought about this before coming down here? Stupid girl. Five minutes later Pennywise walked back over to her, a dirty pair of jeans and a torn flannel shirt in his hand. He dropped them in front of her and climbed back up the pile onto his stage, resuming his laying down position to stare at the ceiling. She picked up the clothing and looked at him, but he wasn’t paying attention to her. Quietly, she removed the torn dress and pulled the jeans on. They hung loosely around her muscly legs but they stayed up without falling down and that was all that mattered. The flannel shirt was missing a few buttons but it still closed without exposing her. Unsure of what to say to him, she mumbled a ‘thank you’ and left the room in silence, feeling just the slightest bit sad that she had to return to her regular life. 

 

January 22nd 

The week she was gone from work had been underwhelming. More than underwhelming, it was downright depressing. On more than one occasion, she contemplated paying a visit to Pennywise, but decided against it. She’d been lucky that he hadn’t killed her once he’d gathered his strength back and she didn’t want to push it by just dropping in unannounced without a warm body to distract him from her own. In the back of her mind, though, she had this nagging thought that he was watching her from wherever he was hiding. More than once, she could have sworn she’d seen eyes staring at her from her closet or felt a puff on hot air on her neck while she watched TV. A little red bird had sat outside of her window for the better part of a day, leaving for a few minutes before returning to nestle up against the glass. Now that she was aware of his existence, she felt he was everywhere all at once and it started to drive her a little insane, because she didn’t seem to care. A small part of her hoped that he’d make an appearance, even if it was to incite another argument. He didn’t though, and before she knew it she was back at work once again, bucket hidden in the broom closet while she cleaned up a kid that had been found torn to shreds in one of the parks. Lara wasn’t too picky when it came to her meals before adopting the diet she currently followed, but she’d never eaten a child before. Adults were far more deserving of death, in her opinion. Soon enough she came to the conclusion that even the adults weren’t nearly as bad as she had once believed. Sure, there were bad apples in the bunch, but there were good ones, too. 

The child in front of her was a little boy, no older than eight or nine. He had posed a challenge to prepare. His face was so badly torn up that it was nearly impossible to make it look remotely human. The body had little left of the torso and the small, black suit sunk in where it should have rested flat on his chest and stomach. Mr. Lawrence had informed her that the family decided on a closed casket, but she still felt guilty that she couldn’t get the child to look better. The parents were going to want to see him even if they didn’t show him to the rest of the mourners, and Lara wanted to at least soften the blow. 

There was a knock on the basement door that led outside, and she looked at it in confusion. Few people knew about the door and even if they did, there was no reason not to use the front doors upstairs. Lara closed the small casket that the boy was in and peeled off the gloves she was wearing, opening the door slowly. In front of her was the man who’d knocked on her door when she was eating dinner. 

“Have you come to exorcise me, apostle? Or are you just looking for another scare?” she asked, eyes flashing from the warm brown to the consuming black before returning to their regular appearance. He didn’t take off running though, only grinned darkly at her. 

“Little one, I don’t think you could scare me even if you tried,” he said in a voice that suddenly made sense as his words registered. She watched as the green eyes turned orange and then returned to green. 

“Pennywise? What are you doing here?” she hissed quietly, looking back at the door that led upstairs and willing Mr. Lawrence to not come down to bother her while he was here. 

“I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d pay you a little visit,” he chuckled, leaning against the doorframe. Reluctantly, Lara allowed him inside and shut the door behind him.   
He walked into the room, looking around and sniffing the air, his face scrunching up in disgust. His eyes landed on the steel container holding the child’s organs and he glared at them disapprovingly. Lara still couldn’t believe that he was here and felt her heart race before she calmed it down, hoping he wouldn’t pick up on it. Her eyes narrowed at him and he turned to look at her, hands jammed into the pockets of his black dress pants, “What?”

“‘Do you have a moment to talk about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?’ That was the best you could come up with?” she asked, spitting into the container at the words that slipped from her mouth. He let out a loud laugh, eyes crinkling around the edges. 

“You’ve got to give me credit for my humor,” he smirked at her and as badly as she wanted to keep a straight face, she couldn’t. She shook her head and chuckled. He watched her take her seat on the stool in front of the coffin and open it back up to finish her work. The dress shoes he wore tapped gently on the floor as he came up behind her, peering down at the lifeless child. Lara could feel him breathing down her neck and knew that her previous suspicions of his presence were confirmed, but couldn’t focus on that due to his proximity. Instead, she forced herself to focus on her work, laying foundation on the boy’s bruised face. 

“Ah, the one that got away,” Pennywise mused from behind her, making goosebumps rise on her skin. She spun around in her seat and stared up at him with dark eyes.

“You did this?” she asked and watched a slight grin spread across his mouth. She pursed her lips and turned away from him, clenching her jaw as she applied a sweep of blush across the boy’s cheeks. Pennywise could feel the anger pouring off her as well as disgust, which infuriated him. Lara felt two large hands on her shoulders as nails dug into her flesh. His mouth was right beside her ear as he spoke.

“You can lose the judgement, little imp, and quit acting like you wouldn’t do the same if you hungered,” he hissed, his voice sounding less human than before. He let go of her shoulders and walked off across the room to look at more of what was around. Lara blinked away the tears that prickled her eyes from the pain and finished her work. She closed the lid and got off the stool. 

“Open that door for me,” she said to him flatly. Without looking at her, he flipped his hand in the direction of the fridge. The door opened slowly and she pushed the coffin into the cold room. She hung her rubber apron up when she came out and cleaned the area. 

“Lara! Can I have a word with you please?” Mr. Lawrence shouted from the other side of the basement door before emerging. Her eyes grew wide and shot to Pennywise, who turned around slowly to look at her. Mr. Lawrence walked right past him wordlessly and looked at her, furrowing his brow, “My god, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

She was confused, eyes darting between the old man and Pennywise, but stuttered out a response, “S-sorry, I… you just caught me off guard, that’s all. Everything okay?”

“Oh, yes, I just need to know if you can work Sunday morning. I need someone to drive the boy’s body over to the church on Witcham Street and set up the flowers,” Mr. Lawrence said, pushing his glasses further up his bulbous nose.   
Just the word made her internally recoil, and judging by the smirk on Pennywise’s face, he could see her disgust. 

“I would, but I’m going to be out of town that day. My mother is sick,” the lies rolled off her tongue with ease and though Mr. Lawrence wasn’t happy, he agreed. 

“Well, send your mother my regards,” he mumbled, leaving the room. When the door shut behind him and she heard he was up the stairs, she looked at Pennywise and waved her hands.

“How did he not see you?” she asked, earning another chuckle. 

“People see what I want them to see,” he said, “I could walk into the middle of the road and people would drive right through me without being the wiser.”

“Hm,” she said, nodding her head, “Well, I’m about to go home and eat so… I guess I’ll see you later?”

She poured the contents of the steel container into her bucket, tied it, put on her coat, and walked out to her car. He didn’t follow her and she assumed he was gone, off to do whatever it is that he did in his free time. She drove home in silence, still coming to terms with the feeling that came over her when she realized that he was there. Obviously she’d had relations before, and was familiar with the processes that took place in the body during these times. The way she was feeling now mirrored the anticipation she felt during her intimate moments and she didn’t know what to do about it. He was a being on a completely different level than her. Did he even experience these feelings? He appeared to her as a male, but did his kind even have genders? She added these to her pile of questions for him that she may or may not get around to asking and decided that she’d handle her little problem later that night after she’d eaten. 

She pulled into her driveway and hurriedly went inside, performing her usual pre-dinner ritual. Blinds, clothes, tarp. She bent in front of the bucket of organs and inhaled, letting out a deep growl as she transformed. Disappointed that she wouldn’t have as much to eat as she would from an adult, she did her best to relish in the moment, savoring each bite. The meat was sweet and tender as she swallowed piece after piece. Blood poured down her chest as she lifted the bucket off the ground to drink down what was left in the bottom of it. She raked her clawed hands down it, smearing it across her body. Her chest heaved as she peaked, feeling the strength pour back into her body as she absorbed her dinner. Going limp, she sunk down to the floor and laid on her back, staring at the ceiling while her breathing returned to normal. Movement caught her attention and she sat up quickly, seeing the oversized clown sitting on her counter, swinging his feet like a child as they barely dangled above the ground. He clapped, applauding her show while he held what looked like a child’s hand between his sharp teeth. Lara felt another surge of heat hit her body and did her best to snuff it out, but she knew that it was too late when his face changed and contorted into confusion. He swallowed the rest of the severed hand whole and stood, approaching her in two steps, seizing her by the shoulders. The gloved hands jerked her head to the side and he brought his face down, breathing in deeply. Lara’s eyes fluttered shut at the sensation of him being so close to her burning skin, but the moment did not last. He pulled away, looking at her again with uncertainty as he stood up straight. She stared at him with those black eyes; in a blink, he was gone, leaving her alone in her home. Disappointment washed over her and she sat back, defeated. Searing pain erupted from her belly and traveled down her groin, causing her to double over. She quickly cleaned up and shifted back to her human form, then ran up to her bedroom to relieve her pain.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You got that medicine I need  
> Fame, liquor, love, give it to me slowly.  
> Put your hands on my waist, do it softly.  
> Me and God we don’t get along, so now I sing.
> 
> Lana Del Rey, "Gods & Monsters"

January 22nd 

Lara laid back on her bed, freshly showered and clean. She had patted her body dry and let the towel drop to the floor beside her nightstand. The silky sheets made her skin tingle as it rubbed against her. She was practically shivering with anticipation. Turning off the light, she let out a shaky breath and parted her legs, moving her hand down her chest, brushing against her breasts. Her fingers gently caressed around her slit, sending little shocks to her system. They dipped into her, pumping in and out as she writhed. She moved to the little bundle of nerves and rubbed lazy circles with the pad of her middle finger. The pain subsided in her belly as she pleasured herself and let the slick drip out of her, making a puddle in the bed. Her moans started soft and slowly got louder until they were nothing but short gasps. She rocked her hips into her fingers, inching closer and closer to her breaking point. 

Hidden within her closet, cloaked in the dark, Pennywise drooled uncontrollably onto himself and the floor. His heart (or whatever it was that kept him alive) pounded so hard that he could hear it in his head, churning, churning, and churning. Heat pooled in his gut and waves of pain similar to what Lara felt made his groin ache. In that moment, he absolutely hated her. He could have killed her if he didn’t need her alive. This was all her fault. He’d caught one whiff of that carnal lust was oozing out of her and it had sent him into what could only be described as his own version of heat. Now he had to try to wait it out. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her. It wasn’t that he didn’t want her, because it was obviously clear that he did, but he refused to make himself look weak by coming to her for help. Pennywise didn’t ask for help. He would rather suffer for however long it took him to come out of it, and while he knew that sitting in her closet watching her pleasure herself would only make his situation worse, it felt good for now and that was all that mattered. She cried out, choked little sounds as she moved her hand faster and faster on her body. His head throbbed. His cock throbbed. He was practically panting as he watched her. A moment later, a loud, throaty moan erupted from her mouth and her body tensed as she climaxed. He could smell the relief on her as she settled down, only making him angrier with her. She would be fine and he would be in pain. He listened as her breathing leveled out and she dozed peacefully to sleep. In a flash he was gone, off to hunt down someone to torture for the night. 

 

February 7th 

More than two weeks went by without a word from him, and Lara started to worry just a little. She didn’t even feel his eyes on her anymore when she was supposed to be alone. Not exactly sure what she had done to put him off, she decided that if he was going to disappear for weeks on end, she’d go find him. After all, it wasn’t like he hadn’t done the same to her. Work had been busy, with six bodies in a single week wheeled in and she somehow felt that they were his doing. So around midnight, she set off to towards The Barrens. Once in the drainpipe that led to his den, she shifted into her more comfortable form and walked along the tunnels. His scent was stronger than she remembered, and there was something different about it. The familiar cotton candy and old blood was there, but thrown into the mix was something along the lines of arousal, and as she breathed it in, she felt a slight twitch in her groin again. 

Careful not to make any noise, she stood at the edge of the pipe that entered into the big room and slowly opened her wings. She lifted off the ground a few feet and moved towards his stage. Sure enough, he was sitting in it, backed into a corner. His knees were pulled towards his chest and he rested his elbows on them, head hanging between his legs. She lowered herself to the ground softly and stared at him. 

“You don’t have to sneak around,” he said, his voice low, “I smelled you the minute you walked into the drainpipe.”

“Are you alright?” she asked. He looked weak, shaking slightly and drooling into a puddle in front of him.

His head snapped up and his mouth curled into a wide grin, eyes wild as he slammed a fist into the back of the stage, “I’m great!”

Lara had jumped at the loud noise and he sniffed furiously at the air, sucking in the smell of the jolt of fear she’d felt. 

“Where have you been? If it hadn’t been for the constant stream of bodies into the funeral home, I’d have thought you were dead,” she said, walking towards him.

“Stop,” he said, breathing harder, “You shouldn’t be here.”

His eyes stared at her and what she saw in them was not a threat, but a pleading look of desperation. She backed away and he seemed to relax slightly, “Are you sick? Do you need something to eat?”

“Little one, I’m not going to tell you again. If you stay here you’re going to get hurt,” he growled at her but she refused to leave, “I don’t have the usual control over myself right now.”

“Why?” Lara pressed and he growled angrily, finally at his breaking point. He jumped on her, tackling her to the ground to sit on top of her. 

“You sent me into heat, you little bitch. I smelled it on you,” he snarled at her, his claws out and pinning her arms above her head, “And if you touch me with that tail I’ll snap your neck.”

Lara pulled the tail away from where it was creeping up behind him, laying it down on the ground. His teeth were spilling spit onto her chest as he hovered over her face. For a moment, she feared he would kill her, take a bite from her throat and let her bleed out. She could feel the hardness in his costume stabbing her waist. She pitied him, really. 

“I didn’t send you into heat,” she finally said, but knew that wasn’t quite true. He had smelled the lust on her in the kitchen; that had to be what did it. His clawed hand wrapped around her throat, squeezing until she thought she’d pass out. 

“I smelled it on you. I smelled it when you saw me there, watching you,” he growled, pressing his forehead against hers, “Just like I smelled it when you were fucking yourself in your bedroom.”

Her mind went immediately to what she had done the night he’d appeared in the kitchen and she thrashed against him, “You watched me?”

“You’re lucky I didn’t kill you,” he released her throat and leaned back, panting as he tried to calm himself. 

“Well, how can you get out of heat?” she asked, staring at him as he shut his eyes in frustration. 

“You know how to get out of heat, don’t play stupid,” he said through clenched teeth. She looked at him for a moment and felt her a sting of arousal hit her stomach. A smile spread across her face, sultry and knowing. She held all the power here, and he knew it. Without her, he’d get no relief, at least for a while. 

“All you have to do is ask, clown,” she hissed, fork tongue snaking between her teeth. She could practically feel the anger pouring off him at what she’d called him. His fingers gripped her head by the hair and yanked it back so her neck was exposed. 

“I could just kill you and it would probably take most of the pain away, imp,” he threatened, and she could feel the heat of his breath under her chin.

“You could, but I’d be back before you knew it. I’d come back and as soon as you got any relief I’d bring the pain right back,” she smiled wickedly, unafraid of him. His grip tightened on her hair and his claws pushed into her wrists where he held them with the other hand.

“I could flip you over and have my way with you right now if I wanted to,” he tried again to no avail. 

“You could try, but I think we both know how that would end up for you,” she shot back and he felt a sharp pressure in the back of his neck, where her barbed tail waited eagerly. He was out of options and they both knew it. Defeated, he gave her head another painful yank before he climbed off her with a growl. He skulked back to the stage and took his place in the corner again. Lara sat up and looked at him, still smiling. She followed him and ignored his look of scorn directed at her. Instead, she sat down and leaned on him. 

“I want to help you, Pennywise,” she panted in his ear as her tongue ghosted over the shell of it and her hand reached into his lap, landing on the erection he was sporting, “I really do. I just need to hear the words from you.”

She rubbed her palm against the silky fabric of his costume and his head leaned back against the wall, eyes shut and mouth open. His body was shaking again and his jaw clenched and unclenched as he struggled. Lara was drinking it up, basking in her newfound power. A being who existed before the Earth did was falling apart because of her. The barbed tail slithered from behind her and coiled around his leg, caressing his upper thigh teasingly. She slid into his lap in a quick motion, forcing his legs flat in front of him as she straddled them. Her arms hung loosely on shoulders and she pushed down against his lap, eliciting a strangled cry from in his throat. His large hands came to rest on her hips and held her in place. She reached a claw around and cut through the bottom of his costume, freeing his erection, which pressed against her bare form. Lifting her body slightly, she lined the head of it up at her entrance and teased him as it slid against her slick. 

“Say it,” she snarled at him, “Do you want me to help you?”

He snapped, giving in and nodding his head frantically. She slammed down onto his cock and he howled as tight, wet heat closed around it. His thrusts were met with the squeeze of her pussy as she rode him, chest bouncing with each movement. He grabbed her hair and pulled her head again to expose her neck; his mouth latched onto it and needle-like teeth bit into her deep enough to draw blood that he lapped at with his tongue. Lara moaned and squeezed around him again, earning an appreciative grunt. He was massive and stretched her to her very limits, but she took him with vigor that he’d never experienced before. Her fingers twisted in the front of his costume and she leaned back, letting his tongue slither over her breasts. 

“See…how nice things can be… when you ask for h-help?” she tried to speak, but her voice was cut off with a moan as he pushed deeper into her. His fingers reached up, grabbing her by the throat again while the others dug into her hips.

“Time for you to stop talking,” he growled, drool pouring from his mouth as his brows furrowed. His left eye rolled to the side for a moment before he forced it back into place. He grew wary of her having all the control and pulled her to his chest before leaning forward to put her on the wooden floor. Her legs wrapped around his waist and he pushed back into her with enough force to push all the way through her. The gloved hand still gripped her throat and he grunted with each thrust. Lara could feel the familiar tension between her legs and each time she came close to her climax he’d slow down, preventing her from finishing. Her angry eyes burned into his and he smirked, knowing exactly what he was doing. This had never been about her pleasure, only his, and she didn’t exactly mind. 

“Fucking bitch,” he cursed at her through gritted teeth, and she grinned at him. Harder and faster his hips snapped; an obscene wet noise echoing off the walls of the sewers mingled with their grunts and groans. Lara felt his body begin to tense and knew it was only a matter of time until this was over. She pushed her hips down, changing the angle to gain more friction from the fabric of his costume on her sensitive bud. With one final thrust, her back arched and she cried out, clinging to his shaking form as he fucked her through it. The added tightness around his cock sent him into a frenzy, his eyes rolling back until only the whites showed and his face twitching. He screamed, a loud, blood-curdling howl, and he nearly foamed at the mouth. Lara felt a burning sensation inside her body as he emptied himself into her. It was like liquid fire as it seeped down her thighs. He continued pumping, far more than Lara had ever experienced before. Pennywise’s teeth retracted and his eyes slowly moved back into place, a relieved look on his face. He pulled out of her and tucked himself away, sitting back on his heels. His eyes examined her, checking for signs of distress. Aside from her gasping, she appeared intact. She sat up and met his gaze with her blacked out eyes.

“Feeling better?” she asked once she regained her breath. He snorted at her and stood, walking off towards the exit to The Barrens. Lara watched, but he stopped, looking back over his shoulder at her.  
“I’ll get something to eat.”

Lara grew cold after he left and she had no idea when he’d be back. She went into the corner of the stage car and curled up tightly, wrapping her fleshy wings around her body to keep the warmth inside as best she could. She began dozing as she thought about what had just transpired. It had been quite a long time since she was that aroused and felt herself quiver as she thought about how he looked on top of her, how good he felt inside her. She could get used to that. Her eyes shut and within a few minutes, she was fast asleep. 

 

Pennywise was dragging a screaming teenager through the tunnels back towards his den, and even though the fear rolling off the boy was intoxicating, the screaming was not. The boy kicked and clawed at the daunting figure who dragged him by the hair. Finally, the clown hoisted him up by the neck and slammed him against the metal walls of the tunnel. 

“If you can’t be quiet, ol’ Pennywise will have to cut out your tongue,” the clown chuckled, though his mood was far from happy, “You don’t want that, do you?”

The trembling boy shook his head, and Pennywise clicked his tongue, “Good, then we’re on the same page. So I’ll just have to keep you quiet some other way.”

A gloved hand passed over the boy’s mouth and when it left, thick, black thread sewed the lips together. The cries were muffled and the fear was worse, a win-win. Pennywise dropped him to the ground and continued dragging him by the throat until they were in the big room where Lara slept. He pushed the boy along towards the stage car and with one more shove, he landed on his knees in front of the sleeping creature. In the dark, she resembled little else besides a black mass of claws and skin. Pennywise stood back as the boy’s muffled screams stirred his little monster from her rest. Her movements could be seen in the back of the stage; the black mass stretched and then stood, towering over where the boy knelt. Shining eyes looked at him and as she emerged from the shadows, she was in her human form, naked in front of him. The teenager’s eyes bugged and he was confused, as Pennywise could smell. Then the dirty thoughts came to the forefront of his mind, and the clown did everything in his power not to kill him right there. She was his, now. His to mark, his to protect, his to care for. The orange eyes looked into her brown ones and he saw that she knew what she was doing. For now, he remained quiet. 

She kneeled down in front of him, turning her head inquisitively, “What has he done to you?”

Tears spilled over his eyes as strained sounds came from the boy’s stifled mouth. She consoled him, placing a soft hand on his cheek, “Close your eyes.”

Nervously, the teenager shut his eyes. With a single clawed finger, she sliced through the thick black stitching over the boy’s mouth. A sob erupted from him and he shook,   
“Please, lady, please, you’ve got help me. Don’t let him kill me.”

Lara paused for a moment, searching within herself for some kind of pity that she usually had in her heart. When she came up with nothing, a realization came over her and Pennywise at the same time, and though she frowned at it, he grinned happily. She couldn’t focus on pitying the boy because her hunger was clouding any other emotions that she felt. 

“He’s not going to kill you,” Lara said, stroking his cheek with her soft fingers before the claws poked through the tips and scratched his face. Pennywise watched, soaking up the fear and in complete admiration of the little creature before him. In the dim light that came in through the ceiling, the boy watched as her skin turned its granite color and the color in her eyes disappeared. The sharp fangs poked over the edges of her lips and she snarled at him, wings shooting out on either side of her. The teenager screamed as she leaned her head back to howl into the cold air. She brought her gaze back on the boy and her voice was otherworldly as she spoke, “I’m going to kill you.”

Her mouth pulled back and she bit into the boy’s neck, tearing a huge chunk of flesh from it. Blood splattered everywhere, on the ground, on the boy, on her. She chewed the meat and moaned as the boy fell to the side, sputtering and clutching the wound. Pennywise was at her side instantly, bowing his head to lick the blood from between her breasts. She hummed in approval and the two of them then turned their attention to the dying teenager at their feet, ripping him to bits. When they had cleaned the bones thoroughly, they each sat back, gasping for air as their blood lust was sated. Pennywise’s orange eyes flickered to her and she crawled over to him, straddling his lap to lick the blood from his chin. He groaned, hands sitting on her waist as she did so. She felt good in his lap; he liked her there. When she was pleased with the way his chin looked, she rested her forehead against his and shut her eyes. 

“I need to go home,” she said, sounding saddened. Pennywise pulled away, looking at her face. His expression changed, scrunching up as his eyes narrowed at her. He couldn’t understand her insistence upon living up there with the humans. She could see that something had set him off, but remained quiet as he pushed her off his lap and got up. He said nothing and disappeared around the corner of the pile of toys. Lara wanted to go to him but thought maybe it was better to leave him be. Instead, she got up and shifted back to her human form, dressed in the clothes she had brought along, and left.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry your Sunday smiles are rusty nails  
> and your crucifixion commercials failed.
> 
> Marilyn Manson, "Target Audience (Narcissus Narcosis)"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY SHIT I didn't expect this to get so many hits so quickly! I appreciate every single one of you and hope that you like the rest of this story. If you're looking for more Pennywise, check out my Tumblr: https://beepbeeptimetofloat.tumblr.com

February 20th 

 

Pennywise was gone yet again. Lara decided that this must just be the way he is and didn’t bother to go looking for him. She hated to admit it, but she was the slightest bit hurt that he had pushed her away. There hadn’t been another creature like her that she’d encountered in at least a hundred years, and now that she found him he didn’t seem to want anything to do with her. He’d gotten what he wanted, gotten out of heat, and didn’t need her anymore. Determined not to dwell, she forced herself to focus on her work. Today she was helping Mr. Lawrence with a wake and funeral. 

She finished arranging the flowers for yet another child when Mr. Lawrence appeared in the room, a man following behind him.

“Lara! There’s someone I’d like you to meet,” Mr. Lawrence said, clapping his hand on the man’s back, “This is my son, Adam.”

The man stuck his hand out and Lara shook it, smiling. Her skin began burning and she tried not to hiss as he gave her hand a squeeze before letting go. She glanced down at her palm and saw that it was red and blistered; quickly, she tucked it behind her thigh and put on a brave face.

“Pleasure to meet you, Lara. My father’s told me wonderful things,” he smiled and in him, Lara could see something wrong, something just not right. 

“I wish I could say the same! Mr. Lawrence, you never told me you had a son,” Lara chuckled and the old man turned red and laughed nervously. Adam looked at him and shook his head, smiling.

“Well, I’ve been away for a while in school. I’m getting ready to be ordained,” he said and Lara felt a knot in the pit of her stomach clench. She swallowed thickly and nodded.

“How nice,” was all she could get out. She turned to Mr. Lawrence, “Would you excuse me for just a moment? I forgot something downstairs.”

She left the two of them to their own discussions and went to the basement. There was a bathroom down there and she hurried in, locking the door behind her. She turned on the sink and ran her aching hand under the cold water, crying out as pain shot up her arm. The skin had turned black and cracked with more blisters. Puss oozed from several of them and she grabbed paper towel to try to clean it. Goddamned priest. She should have been able to smell it on him the minute he walked in. How could she have not known?   
When she had cleaned her hand as best she could, she came out of the bathroom and went into the broom closet to find the first aid kit. There wasn’t much in there that could help her, but she found gauze and wrapped the wound. It would have to do until she could eat something to get it to heal. She was afraid to be gone too long, lest she raise any suspicions, and grabbed her purse to bring upstairs in case anyone asked what she had needed. 

Mourners had begun to arrive when she got back upstairs and she went to stand beside Mr. Lawrence to usher people in. Adam was at a pulpit in the room with the coffin, and she assumed that he’d be running the service. In between people coming in, Mr. Lawrence whispered to her. 

“Lara, I have a favor to ask you, and I understand if you don’t want to do it, but I’d appreciate it if you did,” he said, looking at her every now and then. 

“Sure, what do you need?” she asked softly after shaking a crying woman’s hand. 

“Well, now, don’t take this the wrong way. I’m very proud of Adam for wanting to be a priest, but I had always wanted him to find something more lucrative. I’m just worried he doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into,” Mr. Lawrence said. 

“In all honesty Mr. Lawrence, I think he knows exactly what he’s getting himself into,” Lara said, sounding a little harsher than she’d meant. She was still angry about her hand. 

“I know, I just… I just want to make sure that he’s sure. He doesn’t talk to me much anymore. We’ve drifted apart over the years, and I’m afraid that if I try to ask him any of this, he’ll shut me out for good,” the old man sighed.

“Can’t you talk to him the way you’re talking to me right now?” she asked.

“I could, but he’ll just write me off. He’s so much smarter than I could ever imagine being. He’s had years and years of school. I think he’s embarrassed of his old man. I was hoping that maybe you could spend some time with him, maybe talk to him a little about becoming a full-blown priest. He’ll talk to you, you’re a smart young girl,” Mr. Lawrence was borderline pleading, but the thought of going anywhere near his son made Lara want to disappear into the floor. She couldn’t have him getting into her business, getting too close would be disastrous. 

“Mr. Lawrence, I don’t know that I’m comfortable with spying on him like that, it doesn’t seem right,” Lara scrambled to come up with some excuse, anything to get her out of this. 

“It’s not spying so much as just letting me know that he’s serious about all this,” the old man countered.

She was backed into a corner, and there was no way to get out of this. Perhaps she could agree and then just never actually make the plans. That could work, “Okay, maybe. I’ll see what I can do.”

“Oh, thank you Lara! I’ll let him know that you want to get coffee with him,” Mr. Lawrence smiled gleefully.

“No, Mr. Lawrence, wait—”

“Good afternoon, Miss,” a cool, low voice said from in front of her. Lara looked over and saw a tall, very human Pennywise holding his hand out to her. Her jaw nearly dropped and there was an ominous twinkle in his eye. His palm was ice cold against hers and soothed the burns. She didn’t want to let go of his hand but relented, watching him walk past her into the viewing room to give the family his condolences. There was something so obscene about it, maybe because he was probably the one who had put their child in the coffin behind them. Mr. Lawrence looked down at his watch and sighed.

“Four o’clock. Time to get started,” he said, turning and walking into the room. 

Lara followed him, shutting the double doors as Adam cleared his throat at the pulpit and thanked everyone for coming. She saw Pennywise sitting in the corner of the back row, away from the rest of the mourners, and took a seat beside him. He crossed one long leg over the other and kept his gaze forward, but reached out to place a cold finger on her burnt palm.

“What happened here?” he asked, his voice in her head. His mouth didn’t move as he focused on the service. Unsure of how to answer him, Lara thought back about Adam shaking her hand and cleared her throat, shifting in her seat. Pennywise got the message, exhaling through his nose. His body was tense as he thought about anyone hurting her, but that was the risk she took living with these people. 

“Is there anything you can do about it?” the disjointed voice asked. She looked down, shaking her head discreetly. He removed his finger from her palm and folded his hands in his lap. Together they listened to the almost-priest lecture about having hope and getting through grief, trying their hardest not to laugh at the inaccuracies. Every now and then, Pennywise would look over at her from the corner of his eye and it would take all her strength not to burst out in giggles. By the time the service was over, the muscles in her stomach ached as bad as her hand did. Mr. Lawrence opened the doors, letting the pallbearers carry the coffin out to the waiting hearse. The family and guests slowly worked their way out to their cars, but Pennywise stayed behind with Lara. When they were out of earshot, he turned to her to speak.

“Are you going to the burial?” he asked and she nodded.

“I have to ride with Mr. Lawrence. He doesn’t like driving the hearse alone,” she explained. He sighed, green eyes wandering. 

“I suppose I’ll come along then,” he said, glancing over at the priest with disgust in his eyes until they landed on her again, “How long is he in town?”

“No idea,” Lara said, “But his father wants us to get coffee together. I’m so excited, can’t you tell?”

He smirked, jamming his hands into his pockets. Lara couldn’t help but admire him; he cut a mean figure in his human form. She found herself wondering what he looked like beneath those expensive-looking clothes but pulled her mind back on track before he could figure out what she was thinking. 

“I’ve got to go, I’ll see you there,” she said, walking around him to put her coat on and join Mr. Lawrence. 

 

The cemetery was about a ten-minute drive from the funeral home, and a green tent marked where the hole was. Snow still coated the ground and made for a slippery path. Mr. Lawrence parked the hearse and they got out into the freezing air, made colder still as the sun began to set. The rest of the cars trickled in and people carefully walked to the hole. Lara crossed her fingers that the pallbearers didn’t fall and spill the poor child onto the ice. She was in no mood to clean up a mess like that. Thankfully, they made it to the frame that lowered the body into the ground with no problems and Adam began yet another spiel about God and his mystical plans for those he called back to his kingdom. He was halfway through before Lara felt a presence behind her blocking the wind. They said nothing to each other as the preaching continued. Finally, Adam directed them all to bow their heads in prayer.

“Lord, Almighty, we pray that you accept this child’s soul into your Kingdom and protect him. We pray that his family will see him again one day. And we pray that you protect our children from the Devil and give us guidance. We pray that Satan might not outwit us, for we are not unaware of his schemes,” Adam finished, raising his head and staring at Lara. She felt a queasy, unsettling air wash over her body, making it tingle with discomfort. Her eyes bored holes back at him, refusing to be the first to break the gaze. He had to know something was wrong. That couldn’t be coincidence, could it? She quite honestly didn’t want to find out. 

The service ended and the mourners dispersed. Lara and Mr. Lawrence stayed to sort everything out. Adam helped them, and Lara couldn’t stand to be within two feet of him. Pennywise had disappeared again, but she felt that he wasn’t far. It was dark as the three individuals walked back towards the hearse. Under the lights in the cemetery, she could make out a tall figure leaning on a car she recognized as her own. She could see the toothy grin on his face as he watched her walk towards him in confusion. Before she could reach him, though, Adam placed a hand on her shoulder, startling her. 

“Lara? My father mentioned that you were interested in grabbing some coffee. If you’re free tonight, we could go,” he offered, and Lara could feel a familiar burn on her skin through the clothes. This one was larger though, and the pain was almost unbearable. 

“Uh, well, tonight?” she looked over at Pennywise standing by the car, and Adam followed her gaze. It may have been a trick of the light, but she swore that the tall man grew even larger right before her eyes.

“If you’ve got plans, we could always meet tomorrow for breakfast. Here’s my card,” he said, removing a small white slip of thick paper from his pocket. She took it between the tips of her two fingers, afraid of damaging them, but she felt no burning, “Just give me a call.”

“That sounds good,” her voice sounded slightly strained, but she doubted he caught it. He gave her another pat on the shoulder and followed his father back to the hearse. Lara shot daggers into his back and walked quickly to her waiting car. Pennywise held the keys up in front of her face and dropped them into her hand, walking around to the passenger’s side to get in. She jammed them into the ignition and got the heat blasting. When she saw the hearse gone, she ripped her jacket off and howled in pain, clawing at her back. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled to get her blouse off. Pennywise, slightly disturbed by her sudden outburst, reached over and tore the fabric with his large hands, freeing her. A large swath of her shoulder was blackened and oozing like a sore. He placed his hand over it and she hissed, but felt the cold soothe it afterwards. A moment later, she put the car in drive and pulled out of the cemetery. They rode in silence, his hand still pressed against her seared flesh. 

“How did you get my car over here? You know how to drive?” she asked, looking over at him. His face was blank as he stared out the window. 

“I may spend nearly thirty years sleeping, but I still found time to figure out how to operate your big metal boxes,” he commented dryly, but she still snickered until she realized what he said. Her foot slammed the break hard as they approached a red light and she snapped her head in his direction.

“What do you mean you sleep thirty years?” she asked. He looked at her, slightly confused by her reaction.

“Well, it’s not quite thirty years. Twenty-seven. I come out for a year to feed and then rest. Sometimes I stay awake for an extra year, but it makes hunting harder,” he elaborated. She stared in disbelief until the car behind her honked its horn and she took off speeding. 

“So, so you’re going to go back into, what, hibernation? In a year?” she asked, panic rising in her body, “This time next year you’ll be gone?”

“Ideally, yes,” he said, “Assuming there are no issues. There rarely are.”

Lara stayed quiet until they got back to her home. He removed his hand and the searing pain came back as she covered up with her coat. They went inside and she stripped her clothes off, heading straight for the downstairs bathroom in nothing but her bra and underwear. In the mirror, she twisted around to examine the wound. It was deep, deeper than her hand, and covered nearly all of her shoulder. There was nothing she could do except perhaps eat, but she had nothing even close to what she really needed and was in no condition to get anything. She could hear Pennywise walking around, snapping blinds shut, and when she looked out to the living room, he was back to his clown form sprawled out on her couch. Unable to contain her chuckle, she shook her head and went into the fridge, removing a package of steak. It would have to do for now. She tore through the plastic and picked up one of the thick slabs of meat, watching the blood drip from it. Her fangs pushed their way into her mouth and she stretched her jaw to accommodate the food, chewing straight through the bone. 

“First the remnants of dead humans, and now their animals?” Pennywise commented from behind her. She jumped, turning to look at his disapproving glare as she placed another steak in her mouth.

“I need to regain my strength,” she mumbled with her mouth full as she chewed and jammed a thumb in the direction of her shoulder, “This isn’t going to heal itself.”  
The clown huffed and rolled his orange eyes at her before walking back into the living room. She gulped down the last steak and discarded the packaging, feeling slightly better. Her fangs retracted and she took a seat on the chair adjacent from the couch that Pennywise was back on. 

“Why do you need to sleep for twenty-seven years?” she asked, eyeing him. 

“To gather strength, to ensure that I’m not discovered, to have a break from the constant hunger,” he answered nonchalantly, “Why do you go against what is in your nature?”

She sighed, “Because I live among the humans and can’t just go off on a bender whenever I’m hungry. You know, you act pretty high and mighty for someone who can only stay awake for a year before he’s got to go take a twenty-seven year nap.”

She regretted snapping when he turned his head to look at her with a look of disbelief. His chuckling didn’t help the nervousness that overtook her. He could probably kill her if he really wanted to, regardless of how strong she was, “Little one, I have more power than your father and these imbiciles’ God combined. I don’t need to defend the way I live to someone who is nothing more than the product of an argument between father and son.”

“Yeah? Well I fucked you up pretty bad. So what does that say about all your power if I’m so insignificant?” she challenged. He leapt from the couch and pinned her into the chair, large hand wrapped around her throat. Her claws shot out as she scratched at his arm to free herself. 

“I could just snap your neck and send you straight back into the pit right now if I wanted to,” his voice was low and spit splattered onto her face as he spoke. He squeezed her throat tighter before grunting and letting her go. She gasped for a moment before snarling at him and swinging at his face, leaving four deep scratches across the white paint of his forehead and left eye. He froze, and she waited, chest heaving, for his next move. A smirk spread over his mouth and he chuckled before grabbing her by the throat again to hoist her into the air. Her feet dangled and kicked as she searched for something to grab steady herself. With a growl, he slammed her into the wall, leaving a deep dent and crack in it. Her eyes swirled in her head as she struggled to see straight. 

“You’re not going to kill me,” she choked out, “You would have done it by now. You like having me around, clown.”

He bared his teeth at the name he hated, but began coughing when her tail snaked around his neck and squeezed. She slid down the wall when his grip faltered and pulled her tail back into her body to stare up at him defiantly. He wanted nothing more than to destroy her, but he knew she was right. He did like her around. He hated that he cared for the little whelp. A massive hand grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to his chest while the other yanked her hair to force her to look at him. She could feel the hardness in his groin jamming into her stomach and felt an immediate shock of arousal. He bent his head and sniffed at her neck, inhaling deeply. 

“Mm, almost as good as your fear,” he said, nipping at her neck. She hissed but relented, allowing him to pick her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he stepped back to the wall, pushing her against it. Her arms hung around his neck as he left bites over her breasts and chest, ripping her bra off in one swift motion. One hand fondled her while the other gripped her ass and she moaned. He bit deep into the top of her breast and she yelped. He grinned, tongue licking up the blood.

“So sweet for a demon,” he giggled. She whined and he clicked his tongue at her, “So eager, too.”

He let go of her breast and reached down, removing himself from his silken costume. She tensed up, feeling the head poking at her entrance through her underwear. 

“Stop fucking teasing me,” she gritted her teeth, only amusing him. He pulled her away from the wall and moved to the couch instead, dropping her to the ground. She caught a glimpse of his cock before he turned her around and bent her over the arm of the sofa. He used his knee to part her legs, hand sliding down her rounded ass. She rolled her eyes as he tore her panties but seemed to forget them as he reached a hand around to rub her tiny bundle of nerves. The fingers left her only to push into her tight slit, pumping in and out until they were coated. He brought them to her mouth and she took them in, swirling her tongue around, which earned a strained growl from the monster behind her. His gloves were gone and his cold fingers touched her all over, finally settling on her hips as he pushed in with no warning, nearly bottoming out. Lara screamed, squeezing her legs together instinctively. 

“Now, now. None of that,” he warned in that low, husky voice. He pulled out, letting her relax before pushing back in again. This time, she moaned at the welcomed intrusion. She longed for that familiar full feeling that only he could provide. The little bells on his costume jingled as he worked his hips back and forth. She let her hand slide down her belly to her pussy, rubbing circles into her clit. He leaned forward, panting hot breath and saliva on to her back.

“Yes, little one, touch yourself,” he encouraged, “You’re mine, you’re all mine.”

His voice in her ear made her clench around his cock, and she moaned as she felt every inch of him. He chuckled, leaning back again to quicken his pace. Lara’s fingers pressed harder and she cried out, feeling her end getting closer and closer. 

“Fuck,” she groaned, “Don’t you dare fucking stop.”

His hips snapped faster yet, and she felt the heat pool in her core as she teetered on the edge of her orgasm. But, being Pennywise, as soon as he felt her begin to shake beneath his touch, he slowed to an agonizing pace, pulling her into a standing position against his chest. 

“Who told you that you could finish, little one?” he rasped into her neck, biting down so hard that she snarled, feeling hot blood drip down as he lapped it up with his tongue. He pushed in deep, slowly removing himself only to push back in again. 

“Fucking prick,” she cursed at him. He let go of her hips and pushed two fingers into her mouth again while the other hand replaced her own on her nub. His fingers were slow and teasing, giving her immense pleasure only to take it away with a pinch when she got too close for his liking. 

“What’s the matter? Do you need Pennywise’s help? All you have to do is ask,” he panted, mirroring her words from their previous encounter. She growled and bit down on his fingers, but he didn’t remove them, only pushed them further until she gagged. Her pussy twitched as she felt herself getting close again. He took his hand away from her clit and squeezed her ass painfully hard. Slowly, he eased his fingers from her mouth, “Well, anything you want to say?”

“Evil fucking clown,” she gasped, sucking in air now that she could breathe again. His chest rumbled with laughter and he reached down to pinch her nipple.

“Just say the word, and I’ll let you finish,” he said as she snarled at him again, teeth shooting out from her gums, “Otherwise I’ll just have to make you suffer all night. You don’t want that, do you?”

“No,” she moaned. His fingers went to her clit again, rubbing tight little circles. She could feel her pussy soaking his cock and her orgasm within reach. 

“Say it,” he growled, accentuating the ‘t’. 

“Let me fucking come, please!” she shouted, “Please, Pennywise, make me come.”

She could practically feel his triumphant grin. He pushed in, hard and fast, picking up his previous pace while rubbing her clit. Lara could do little else besides cling to him and the edge of the couch while he ravaged her body. He bowed his head and bit into her shoulder again, and the pain mixed with the pleasure he was giving with his fingers and cock was enough to send her over the edge. She threw her head back against his chest, turning her head to moan into his ear as she panted his name. Her pussy squeezed around his cock, nearly pushing him out completely, but he kept up his pace as she rode her orgasm out. When she finally came down, she felt limp in his arms and flopped forward to stabilize herself better. She could feel his thrusts slowing down and his grunts getting louder. Drool pooled on her lower back and though she didn’t turn around to look, she knew that left eye was probably drifting off. His claws shot out, digging into her hips where he gripped her and drew blood. 

“Take it, take it, take it,” he growled at her, nails pushing further into her soft flesh. She mewled, pushing back against his thrusts, “That’s a good girl, yes; take Pennywise’s cock…”

All at once, he slammed into her and held her in place as his cock pulsated, pouring that liquid fire into her body. She felt it seep out and drip down her thighs as it had before. He exhaled, releasing her from his death grip and pulled out. More of his seed spilled out of her and she collapsed to the floor, unable to walk for the time being. Even he felt his legs were weak, and slid to the floor beside her. The two of them gasped for air, stealing glances at each other when the other wasn’t paying attention. Unable to lay on her back, Lara rolled on to her stomach and sighed, shutting her tired eyes. 

“How does it look?” she asked him after a moment. He chuckled darkly, as if he wanted to say something else besides the answer she was looking for, and she rolled on to her side to glare at him, “My shoulder.”

“It will heal. The charring is gone, just blisters now,” he said, still giggling a little. She bit her lip and felt her body tingle as she saw the soaked puddle on his costume, still thinking about what they’d done. She forced herself to get up, searching for something to put on. Her panties, or rather, what was left of them, were on the floor beside the couch and she picked them up.

“You know, you can remove clothing without destroying it,” she said and let the frayed fabric fall to the floor again with a sigh. He smirked at her but said nothing. She walked out of the living room headed for the stairs, “I need a shower and some sleep. I’ve got to entertain a Man of God tomorrow, after all.”

Pennywise furrowed his brows, “You’re too weak to go near him, what if he touches you again?”

Lara snapped her head in his direction, eyes blacked out in anger, and for a split second the clown knew what his victims felt before he ripped them to bits, “Weak? My flesh may be damaged, but I am far from weak. He thinks he can scare me away? I’m going to give him something to be scared of.”  
Pennywise’s cock twitched as he listened to her talk and for a moment, he thought he’d go back into heat, but the feeling subsided. He watched her saunter up the stairs and disappear on to the second floor. 

“You coming?” she called to him, and he fought the urge to run to her, instead walking slowly out of the living room to the stairs.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Give a little, get a lot  
> That’s just how you are with love  
> Give a little, get a lot  
> Yeah, you may be good-looking but you’re not a piece of art.
> 
> Marina and The Diamonds, "Power and Control".

February 21st 

 

Lara woke up alone, not that she’d expected him to stay with her through the night. Her shower had left her feeling more dirty than clean, and she walked straight into her bathroom to turn on the hot water. She turned to look at her shoulder again, and it had healed a bit more, fewer blisters on the surface. Her hand was the same way. She slipped into the water, washing her hair and hissing as the water hit her wounds. When she was done, she wrapped up in her robe and slinked downstairs to the kitchen. She stopped, tilting her head to the side curiously, as she saw a red balloon tied to the handle of her fridge. Inside, she found a large pack of steaks and couldn’t help but smile. She brought them to the counter and wasted no time in devouring them.

“Pennywise, if you’re listening, thanks for breakfast,” she muttered to herself, chuckling. The balloon on her fridge popped and made her jump, hand flying to her chest. Another smile crossed her face and she discarded the trash. Her back tingled, as if healing further. When she looked at her hand, the wound was almost completely gone, except for the tender, pink flesh that was still raw. She picked up her phone and called the priest, laying on the pleasantries as she invited him over for coffee. He agreed, and she hung up, excited. This was going to be fun. 

 

Lara was in the kitchen, fiddling with a coffee pot she wasn’t entirely sure how to use when there was a knock on her door. She lifted her head, sniffing, and exhaled. He was here. She crossed through the kitchen into the living room and to the front door. 

“Hello, father,” she smiled, letting him in, “So good to see you again.”

“Thank you Lara, it’s good to see you too,” he smiled, stepping inside and pulling off his coat. She watched his face carefully, and though he tried to conceal it, she could read the   
nervousness in his body language. He definitely knew something. She motioned to the kitchen and they went in, sitting down at the table. She placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of him and brought over the cream and sugar. 

“You know, I have to admit Lara, I was a little surprised when Dad said you wanted to have coffee,” he chuckled, taking a small sip and smoothing the neat, combed hair on his head. 

“Oh, why is that?” she smiled, tilting her head.

“Well, when most women learn that I’m a priest, or at least, almost a priest, they usually go running the other way,” he explained.

She laughed, “I can’t say that my intentions were entirely pure, Father. I needed some advice. I don’t know if you can help me or not, but I really hope you can.”

“Oh, of course Lara, what is it?” he smiled warmly. Her eyes flickered to the counter, where Pennywise had appeared, swinging his feet where they dangled. His arms were folded over his chest as he bared his teeth to the priest, though he couldn’t see him. 

“Well, Father… I know I’m going to sound crazy, but please, just listen. I… I think there’s something in my house,” she said carefully. Pennywise looked at her with confusion, probably thumbing through her thoughts to figure out what she was planning. A wide, sinister grin spread over his face when he figured it out, but she sent him a warning to stay quiet. 

“Something in your house?” Adam asked.

“Well, I think there might be a d-demon, in the house, father,” she said, voice quivering and tears puddling in her eyes. 

“A demon?” Adam asked, eyes widening slightly.

“He’s terrified,” Pennywise’s deep voice reverberated in her head and she struggled to focus on the conversation.

“Yes. I know how this sounds, Father, but something’s not right in this house. Things move on their own, I hear voices and strange noises in the middle of the night, I wake up with marks on my body that weren’t there when I went to sleep,” Lara let the tears spill over her eyes, “I’m so scared. It’s so hard to come home, but I can’t just sell my house.”

The priest swallowed thickly, “Well, Lara, I have a feeling that you’re not the only one feeling this way. When I arrived in Derry, I could feel that there was something bad about this town, something… Evil. I’ve been doing some investigating and I think I may have some insight into what’s making you feel this way.”

Pennywise’s head snapped to look at the priest in anger, and he hopped down off the counter to get closer to him, snarling. Lara shot him a look that said back off, but he continued to shake with anger. 

“What have you found out, Father?” she asked, trying to keep his attention off what was happening right beside him. She was amazed he hadn’t felt the clown’s hot breath on his face. 

“Well, I can’t explain it, but it’s like every twenty-seven years, there’s a huge tragedy in Derry, or a spike in disappearances. It’s incredibly strange, but I think that there might be something in the town causing it. I’ve reported it to my elders to see what they’ve to say about it,” he explained, and Lara thought Pennywise would kill him right there. 

“Whatever you’re going to do, you better do it, now,” he warned as his voice wandered into her head.

“I know exactly what you mean, Father, I’ve noticed it too,” Lara explained, “I remember the Easter Day explosion, and The Black Spot Fire. And now this year, so many children killed.”

Adam’s brows furrowed in confusion, “You remember them? You mean you read about them?”

“Oh no,” she said, “I remember them. I was here.”

“I don’t think I follow you,” he said, and Pennywise threw his head back, sniffing the air as a smile crossed his face. Lara knew. The priest was horrified.

“I was here, Father, during the explosion and the fire,” she continued as if there was nothing wrong with it at all.

“I don’t understand. That would mean you’d be over one hundred years old,” he said, his hands beginning to shake. 

“Oh, Father, you flatter me. I don’t look my age, do I? I’ll let you in on a little secret,” she said, slamming a clawed hand on his own fleshy one, pinning it to the table, “I’m four hundred and fifty years old. Thank god for Botox, am I right?”

The priest’s chest heaved as he broke out in nervous sweat, struggling to get his hand free. He watched in horror as her eyes rolled over into complete blackness and her fangs grew to protrude from her lips. The barbed tail snaked up from behind her and stroked his cheek, scratching it.

“Holy Mary, Mother of God, grant us protection…” his eyes squeezed shut and she released his wrist, ignoring the sizzling of her flesh. 

“Your God’s not here, Father,” her voice grew distorted and low, booming in his ear. He could hear her talons clicking on the kitchen floor as she stood to speak right in his face, “But mine is.”

Seemingly out of thin air, Pennywise materialized in front of the priest, only instead of looking like the clown he usually appeared as, he was almost an exact replica of her. He was massive, layered with thick muscle and so tall his head nearly hit the ceiling. Black horns jutted out from his forehead and pointed upwards while his granite skin shimmered in the light. He growled at the priest who was near tears at this point, trembling and mumbling incoherently. Pennywise’s clawed hand grabbed him by the throat and forced the priest to look into his red eyes.

“This town is mine, priest, and I will drag it down to Hell with me,” the voice so deep it was almost hard to understand, “And I’ll drag you too.”

Pennywise released the priest who screamed when Lara took hold of him, pushing him against the wall and holding him there, snarling, “Leave this place and don’t come back. And if you tell anyone what you saw here today, I’ll send your father back to you in pieces.”

She released him and he bolted, running straight for the door. Lara chased after him with Pennywise right behind her, lumbering along in his new form. She screamed obscenities at him and howled as he grabbed his jacket and ran outside to his car. When she appeared in the doorway, she was back in her human form, wrapped in a robe, waving goodbye.

“Have a blessed day, Father!” she called to him, and he peeled out of the driveway. 

She slammed the door shut and turned to Pennywise who was back in his clown attire, grinning. They looked at each other and burst into laughter, unable to hold it in any longer.

“His fear was so strong I didn’t know if I could withhold eating him,” Pennywise said after they calmed down. 

“Think he’ll stay away now?” she asked, walking around to the couch and sitting down. He joined her.

“He won’t come back,” Pennywise agreed, “Hopefully he keeps his mouth shut.”

“We’ll know tomorrow. I’ll either have a job or be homeless,” she chuckled dryly, “Nice transformation, by the way. If I didn’t know any better, I’d have thought you were my Father.”

Pennywise grinned, buckteeth sticking out over his bottom lip, “I’m familiar with Lucifer. He once threatened to rip me limb from limb.”

Lara looked over at him with shock on her face, “You’ve met him? You’ve seen him?”

“Of course I have,” he said simply, sitting down in the chair across from her, “He was the one who lost a limb that day, if I remember correctly.”

She was in awe once again. She should have been angry about how this being was talking about her creator, her Father, but she wasn’t. It seemed so insignificant when there was something as old as him that existed. Who cares about what he says about him? He was older than Lucifer and God put together. 

“It feels like a lifetime since I last saw him,” she mused, eyes distant and glazed over. Pennywise tried to pick his way into her mind, to see what she was thinking, but he was unable to. His eyes flickered to orange before he calmed himself. 

“Why are you here?” he asked, sounding a little more crude than intended. Her eyes focused again and she looked at him with confusion. 

“What do you mean?”

“Why here? Why aren’t you down there with Him? Instead you stay here, feeding off of scraps and hiding what you really are,” he said, once again trying to hone in on her thoughts. Nothing. 

“Not this again. I’m here because I choose to be here,” she tried to sound firm but wavered, and he caught it. He clicked his tongue and shook his head, a smile breaking out on his face.

“Don’t lie to me, little one, I thought we talked about this,” he said before pouncing on her. She struggled against him, but he was far too large for her to move. He pinned her hands at her sides, pressing her into the couch as his eyes bored holes into her own. They glowed, bright orange, pulsating, but there was something different about them. They orange was more golden and so bright that it caused her eyes to water, but she couldn’t look away. Her body went limp and she was completely powerless as she stared back at him. Meanwhile, Pennywise was rifling through each and every thought, memory, and emotion that she had going on in her head, happy that he’d finally gotten inside. Lara could feel immense pressure in her skull, could almost make out every finger that flipped through her mind. Pennywise saw images of what he assumed was Hell, not that he’d ever been. It was black, foggy and the smell of sulfur filled his nose. The sky was burning red hot, flames licking at the horizon from the dry, cracked ground. He could see Lucifer, the old brute looking the same, and Lara in her true form, arguing. The voices were distorted, as if almost forgotten. The scene changed, and he saw her emerge from the gates, a black, slithering smoke that killed whatever it touched until it found a human to inhabit, but it wasn’t who she was now. This was a different person, a woman with blonde hair and blue crystalline eyes, in old-fashioned robes that he recognized from a stint in the sixteen hundreds that left him craving the flesh of newborns. The memory faded though, and he found himself sifting through images of himself, fucking her, glaring at her, attacking her. Lust, affection, fear, and most of all, attraction, swirled around in that big head of his until he couldn’t stand it anymore. The idea of any creature feeling any of these things towards him was foreign, and upsetting. He released her mind and stepped away, lost in his own thoughts. Lara’s eyes blinked a few times and she sagged into the couch, feeling exhausted.

“What the hell did you do to me?” she tried to sound angry, but didn’t have the strength for it. When she looked up, he was gone, and she growled. She hated when he just disappeared like that. Her head ached, and she could feel memories threatening to come back, but they were just out of reach for her. She curled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them. He had clearly seen something in her head that had sent him running. She just hoped that he wouldn’t be gone long. 

 

March 2nd

 

Lara was sick of his disappearing act. Moreover, she was sick of how sad she felt when he was gone. How the hell was she supposed to deal with his 27 year sleep if she couldn’t be away from him for more than a few days? It wasn’t fair that he came and went as he pleased without any regard for her. That’s just how he is, she told herself repeatedly, don’t get attached.

It was too late though. She was already feeling herself needing to be around him more and more. He let her be herself and indulge in those carnal desires for flesh and blood that she couldn’t give in to in her everyday life. She knew he was right about suppressing who she really was, but she wasn’t about to let him know that. No, she was going to do everything she could to get back on track and behave the way she had for years now. If that meant seeing less of the clown, so be it. 

Her stomach growled as she disposed of the remains of yet another child. She’d have to stop by the store and get something on her way home. Mr. Lawrence had already left, and thankfully had been blissfully ignorant of what transpired in her home. She still couldn’t believe what she’d done, even if the almost-priest was egging her on. That was no reason to jeopardize what she had going for herself here in Derry. 

Once she cleaned up, she put her coat on and walked to her car, half-expecting an orange and white tabby to be sitting near it. There was nothing, though, and with a sigh, she headed off towards the grocery store. Parking in the back of the lot, she quickly made her way inside and grabbed a basket, hooking it into the bend of her arm. Her legs carried her to the back of the store to the meat section, and she had to fight back drool as she watched the butcher behind the counter. Her fingers danced along the packages and she pretended that it was human meat that she was choosing from, instead of the animals they slaughtered. She picked up a pack of filets that looked particularly tender and then grabbed three large roasts. Her hand had just touched a package of extra-thick steaks when a soft voice spoke from her left. 

“If you’re looking for a real meal, I could show you a better place to go,” the words ignited both joy and irritation. She didn’t have to look over to see who was talking, but she did, and saw the tall, sandy-brown haired man with the green eyes that made her knees weak. Refusing to let him see that she was pleased he had appeared, she stuck her nose in the air and went back to her package of steaks.

“No, thank you, these are just fine,” she said, grabbing a second pack and turning to walk away towards the front of the store. He followed, hands in the pockets of his suit, expensive shoes clicking softly. 

“You sure about that? I bet I could find you something even sweeter,” he whispered to her, making her quiver, but she remained strong. 

“I don’t need anything else. Now, go away,” she shot him a look and saw that he was grinning, only angering her more. 

“I have been away, and now I’m back to see my little friend,” he replied, and she wasn’t sure what bothered her more: his condescending tone or the fact that he’d called her a friend. She ignored him and got in line. A mother and her toddler were in front of them, the little boy eyeing Lara questioningly. 

“Well what if I don’t want to see you?” she snapped quietly at him, careful not to attract attention to them. His grin faltered only for a moment before it was replaced with a smirk.

“I think we both know that’s not true,” his hand rested gently on the small of her back before slipping down to cup her ass for a split second. 

“So help me, I will cut your hands off,” she whispered through clenched teeth. He pulled away, chuckling to himself. Her eyes landed on the toddler, who was still staring at her, and she made a face, snarling silently. Big, wet tears streamed down its face and screams filled the checkout line. Its mother picked it up and did her best to calm it down. Once they were gone, Lara practically threw her basket onto the belt and waited in front of the cashier whose eyes rarely left Pennywise’s male form. 

“How are you guys doing today?” she asked them, but Lara knew in reality she was only addressing one person, and it sure wasn’t her. 

“I’m doing great, Kelsey,” Pennywise said, looking down at her nametag and laying the charm on thick, “How are you?”

The blonde blushed, eyes falling to the meat that she was slowly scanning, “I’m good. Just trying to stay warm. I can’t believe how cold it’s gotten.”

“Well, sometimes you’ve got to get creative,” he said, arching a brow at her, earning a schoolgirl-like giggle. He flashed her a smile and Lara thought she’d actually be sick right there. 

“Excuse me, I’m in a bit of a rush,” she said, interrupting their moment. The blonde looked at her with just a tinge of disgust, and Lara began planning all the different ways that she’d kill her if she got the chance. 

“It’s gonna be $87.34,” she said, snapping her gum. Lara pulled out her card and swiped, punching in her PIN number while the blonde stared back at Pennywise. 

“I’m Robert, by the way,” he added, smiling at her while Lara put her wallet away. The blonde grinned back at him and handed Lara the receipt, and she could have sworn she saw her wink at him. She snatched up her bags and walked off, Pennywise trailing along behind her in silence. At the car, she threw the bags into the backseat and opened her door to get in. Pennywise walked over the passenger side, but she refused to unlock it. 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she asked, “You’re not riding with me.”

He scoffed, “I don’t need to ride back with you to still show up to your house.”

“Good, because you’re not coming anywhere with me. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay the hell out of my house. Why don’t you go see if Kelsey will give you a ride to the nearest sewer?” Lara snapped and got into her car, not giving him a chance to respond. He glared down at her through the window, but she ignored him and drove off towards her house. 

 

At home, she changed into her usual shorts and tank top before gulping her dinner down in a few bites. The hunger went away, but there was no feeling of satisfaction. Restless and upset, she plunked down in front of the television for a few hours. Finally, when that did nothing for her, she went upstairs and got into bed, hoping that the following day would be better. 

Her rest was short-lived, however, when a few hours later she felt a hand shaking her awake. She struggled to focus, but saw Pennywise, still human, leaning over her bed. 

“What the hell? What time is it?” she mumbled, turning to look at her clock.

“Never mind that. I’ve got a surprise for you, and I think you’re going to like it,” he said before walking back off into the darkness. When he returned, he was pulling someone along with him, and Lara recognized the cashier from the grocery store. Her hair was a mess and she teetered on her feet, unsure of her footing. 

“You brought me her?” Lara asked, not sure if she should be angry or confused.

“I thought you might like a little dessert,” Pennywise said, sitting on the bed and pulling the blonde into his lap. She giggled and straddled his long legs, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He turned to look at Lara with heavy-lidded eyes and her resolve cracked. She pushed the covers off herself and slinked over to him, grabbing the blonde by the hair and kissing her. A deep groan echoed from Pennywise’s chest as he watched the two of them. It took only moments for her to shed her clothes and remove the blonde’s, revealing a slender figure. Lara pulled her away from Pennywise and on top of her, fingers gliding over the exposed skin. Beside them, she could hear him undoing his belt and taking off his clothes. The blonde kissed her way down Lara’s body, leaving a trail of wet marks until she reached her aching sex, teasing her. 

“Fuck,” she hissed, tangling her fingers in the blonde’s hair and pushing her head down. She licked and sucked at the swollen bud, sending shockwaves of pleasure through Lara’s body. Pennywise appeared in front of them, walking behind the blonde and grabbing her hips to position himself at them. She yelped as he entered her, his thrusts producing the slick sound of skin against skin. Within moments, she was moaning, the vibrations pulling Lara closer and closer to the edge. Her eyes opened to see Pennywise staring at her, watching her heavy breasts bounce with his thrusts into the blonde and her hips bucking with each swipe of her tongue. He slapped the blonde’s ass, earning another hefty moan. She slipped two fingers into Lara’s dripping pussy and rubbed up against her walls. Her back arched and she cried out, rolling her hips into the blonde’s mouth. She contracted around her fingers, riding out her orgasm until she was nothing but a sweaty, panting mess. The blonde hovered over her, bracing her hands on the bed as Pennywise’s thrusts continued. He was hissing and growling, and something about the thought of anyone giving him pleasure besides her made something inside Lara boil over. In the dark, the blonde didn’t see Lara’s claws come out, but she knew they were there when one swept across her throat, sending a spray of blood all over Lara’s naked form. She leaned up, sucking the blood as it gushed from her neck before pushing the lifeless body to the side. Pennywise pulled out of her and let her body fall, instead coming towards Lara. He pushed into her and continued his thrusts while bowing his head to lick the blood off her chest. 

“Oh no, you’ve had your fun,” she said with a quiet snarl, and flipped them so fast that he didn’t know it had happened until his back was against blood-soaked sheets. Lara straddled his long legs and teased his cock against her slit. 

“Careful, little one. Don’t let the meat suit fool you, I’m still just as dangerous,” he warned, and before her eyes transformed back into his usual clown form. The cock in her hand grew twice as thick and long, while needle-like teeth stuck out of his mouth. 

“I don’t give a shit what form you’re in,” Lara hissed, fork tongue slithering out between her lips, “Tonight you’re mine.”

He didn’t like it, not one bit. He wasn’t used to relinquishing control, especially to a creature as weak as her. There was something about the way she was looking at him, though. The evil glint in her eyes made his cock twitch in anticipation. Maybe just this one time, he’d let it slide. Her hand shot out and gripped his neck, pushing the ruffles down to squeeze. He sputtered slightly but maintained his toothy grin. 

“I’ll teach you to think you can just show up whenever you feel like it and then disappear,” she growled, her voice several octaves deeper as the animalistic side broke through the human one. He chuckled at her attempts at dominance, but couldn’t deny how hot under the collar he got when he heard her words. 

“You’re going to teach ol’ Pennywise a lesson, little imp? I think you’ll be the one getting bent over my knee before the night’s over,” he licked his sharp teeth, relishing in the frustration on her face.

“First lesson,” she said, releasing his cock from her hands and climbing up his body, “No talking.”

She angled her juncture over his mouth and lowered it down, feeling the thick, slippery tongue lapping at her. Her licked circles into her sensitive clit, every now and then jutting his tongue inside her. His eyes were yellow and rimmed with red, fixated on her sex as he pleasured her. She took hold of his hair and tugged it, his eyes snapping up to glare at her.

“You look at me,” she commanded, undulating her hips against his tongue. To her surprise, he maintained eye contact, working his tongue harder. She could feel herself getting closer to the edge again and reached around to take hold of his cock. He growled, sending vibrations up her body and making her moan.

“Lesson two: patience. If you make me come, I’ll let you come. If you start teasing, you get nothing from me,” she said, tightening her grip on his hair. He narrowed his eyes at her again, but hummed louder, twisting his long tongue inside her. Her thighs began to shake and she broke out in a sweat, gasping for air. One tiny scratch of a tooth against her flesh sent her crashing down. She rode his face, holding tight onto his hair as he stared into her eyes. The lust pouring off her was overwhelming, making his groin ache and his neglected cock drip with precum. Lara swung her weak legs over, releasing his mouth, coated in slick. He licked his lips and hummed happily. She slid back down his body to hover over his hips.

“Lesson three: keep your hands to yourself,” she said and all at once dropped down onto him. It was painful, but she wanted to catch him off guard. He snarled, hands flying to her hips to make her move.

“Hey! What did I say?” she growled back at him, “I mean it, clown. I’ll be off you so fast you won’t know what hit you. You’ll never find me.”

He felt his stomach clench ever so slightly at her words. It was then that he realized that he didn’t want her to leave, to go anywhere, for that matter, without him. She was his. Millions of years, he roamed the universes alone, only feeding and sleeping. Now, he had something…someone. A mate. A lowly, insignificant being that had such little power. But she was the one, he knew it, and now that he had her, he wasn’t letting her go. 

His clawed hands released her hips, tiny droplets of blood leaking from the pierced flesh. She reached her hand out and stroked his hair, “Good boy.”  
She could have sworn she heard purring coming from him, but ignored it and went back to the task at hand. Lowering herself back down again, she started riding him slowly, making him pay for his little slip up. He was shaking beneath her, trying his hardest not to grab onto something. All he could think about was touching her, groping her, feeling her soft flesh against his sharp fingers. She gradually picked up her pace, pressing her hands into his chest to move her body faster. Little gasps and growls echoed from his mouth, his teeth clenching and unclenching in determination. His cock started twitching more, pulsating, and his left eye began its journey to the back of his skull. She slowed, riding him gently until she stopped altogether.

“Did I tell you that you could come?” she asked innocently, earning a frustrated snarl. She wasn’t satisfied, “I asked you a question, clown.”

“No,” his tone was desperate and angry, denied long enough.

“Beg for it,” she leaned down, getting right up in his face and gripping his neck again, “I want to hear you fucking beg.” 

He was furious; his eyes changed rapidly from orange to yellow to red, unable to pick one color. His chest heaved and his teeth snapped open and shut. Lara could feel him trembling now, harder than before, his nerves pulled so tight they would snap at any moment. Drool poured from his mouth and his tongue lolled out to the side like a dog’s. 

“Let me fucking come,” he panted, eyes finding hers again.

“That’s not begging, that’s commanding,” Lara scolded, squeezing around his neck tighter. She reached behind her again, this time taking hold of the contracted balls that hung beneath his cock, and dug her nails into them gently, “I need to hear the magic word, Pennywise, or else I’m not moving.”  
He shuddered, whining at the sensation of her hands on him. There was nothing he wanted more than to leap up and fuck her until he broke her hips, but he needed to come. His eyes finally settled on blue, wide and watery as he stared up at her.

“Please, little one, please let me come,” he panted, and she smiled victoriously. She picked up a vicious pace, rocking the bed as it creaked in protest. Her fingers massaged his balls and she watched as his eyes rolled to white again, an inhuman howl piercing the air. Clawed hands squeezed her hips and forced her in place, but she allowed it. He pumped into her, pouring his seed into her body. It burned her insides and seemed to go on for an eternity. When he finally slowed to a stop, the two of them were frozen, staring at each other. Both gasped for air and Lara watched as his relaxed expression returned. She got off him, cum gushing out onto his thighs and the bed, and flopped beside the quivering clown. He pulled her to him suddenly, large arms wrapping around her small body. His tongue lapped at her neck lovingly, causing her to tense. The purring noise was back, she was sure that’s what he was doing, and he nuzzled closer to her. 

“Pennywise,” she said, and his eyes opened slowly, examining her.

“Yes, little one?” he asked, his voice gravelly. 

“There’s a girl’s body on my floor, and I need it to not be there,” she said, arching a brow at him.

“So get rid of it, then,” he challenged, loosening his grip on her.

“I didn’t hunt her down. It’s bad enough that I killed her in my own house. I don’t want to even look at her,” Lara said, sitting up and pushing her hair from her face. He growled, sitting up as well.

“I brought her for you,” he said, “You need to eat actual food, not that trash they sell.”

“I’ve been surviving long enough on scraps, and I don’t plan on changing that,” she brushed him off. He had lost nearly all his patience with her nonsense. She was a killer. She was supposed to eat humans like him. What was the point in trying to be like them? They were so…ordinary. He couldn’t grasp why she would hide the power she had, miniscule as it was, in exchange for being like the rest of the cattle being led to slaughter. 

“Eat her,” he was angry, she could tell, but she didn’t want to give in. He’d already caused her to stray enough, she didn’t want to make it worse. 

“I want her gone, Pennywise. Deal with her,” Lara matched his tone and got up, skulking off the bathroom. She slammed the door and he heard the water in the shower running. As frustrated as he was with her, he didn’t plan on wasting a fresh meal, and got to work.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me father, have I sinned?  
> Who gives a fuck how long it's been  
> Just let this holy war begin.
> 
> Ice Nine Kills, "Communion Of The Cursed".

May 18th

 

The months since the incident with the cashier had been bliss… for Pennywise. He looked past Lara’s refusal of his gift, still accepting her as his mate. The problem was that he failed to inform her of any of this. His assumption that she just knew was wrong, and she couldn’t understand his clinginess. The only time that he was away from her was when he was hunting, and when she slept. Even then, she was pretty sure that he still sat there through the night, watching and waiting for her eyes to open. She complained when he just disappeared for weeks on end, but now she found herself wishing he’d take off for a few days. This all came to a breaking point one night when she walked in from work. He was in her living room, as he always was when she got home, lounging on the couch and picking his teeth with a black claw. His costume was still stained with the blood of his last meal, making Lara angry because not only was she starving but she didn’t need the blood of missing children in her house.

“Pennywise, what did we talk about when it comes to your meals?” she snapped at him, dropping her purse the floor and stomping into the kitchen. He simply chuckled at her, only making her mood sourer.

“I was careful, little one, don’t worry,” he brushed her off, sitting up abruptly, “Now, come here, I have some questions about those tiny little boxes all the humans carry around.”

Lara groaned, grabbing two packages of meat from the fridge, “Cell phones, Pennywise, they’re called cell phones. We’ve been over this. They’re used to communicate with other humans.”

She swallowed two steaks whole before she began chewing the third. He furrowed his brows, “Yes, I know that, but what are the numbers? I overheard one of them talking about the numbers.”

Lara took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down and not shout at him, “Each phone has a number attached to it. That’s how you know who you’re calling. If I have a phone and my phone number is 1-2-3, then you dial 1-2-3 to call me.”

“…dial?”

“Pennywise!” Lara spun around, nostrils flared in anger, “Please, I have a headache. No more questions for today. Please.”

She turned back to the counter, picking up another steak to eat. Pennywise materialized behind her, large hands sliding down the curves of her body. His lips grazed her ear and he leaned down, biting into her neck gently. The gesture that normally led them to the bedroom, or to any nearby flat surface, really, now made her claws shoot out and her scales to rustle beneath her skin.

“Pennywise,” she said, shaking him off and turning around to stare up at him, “Look, I need a break tonight, okay? I want to relax, and take a nice bath, and just be alone.”

He stared at her, his expression a mixture of hurt and anger. Why was his mate pushing him away? They weren’t supposed to do that. Were they? He wasn’t exactly sure, he’d never had one before. 

“What if something happens while I am away?” he asked, and she pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Nothing is going to happen. You leave to feed and I’m fine. I just need one night to myself,” she said, her gaze hard.

“But—”

“Pennywise, go!” Lara shouted, “Go away! You can come back tomorrow morning and everything will be back to normal. Go!”

He huffed angrily, staring her down to see if she’d break. When her eyes rolled over into black, he knew that she wouldn’t, and he disappeared right in front of her. He wasn’t used to this feeling of rejection. How dare she send him away? Did she have any idea the power he had? The eater of worlds wasn’t going to be summoned and dismissed like a dog. Yet there he was, back in his sewer home, alone. Deciding that he would take out this newfound feeling on some humans, he stormed off down the tunnels.

 

Lara sighed, happy to be alone in her own home for the first time in a while. Once her dinner was gone and the pain in her stomach calmed, she walked upstairs. In her bedroom, she discarded her clothes and strolled into her bathroom, sitting on the edge of the tub to turn the nozzles on. Warm water poured from the faucets and she dumped liquid soap into it, watching the bubbles form. While it was filling, she brought her small speaker in and hooked plugged her phone into the aux cord. Music echoed through the bathroom and she sighed happily. She walked downstairs, grabbing a glass and a bottle of champagne from the fridge. The cork popped, flying off into the kitchen somewhere, and ran to the sink to keep the foam from the floor. She poured herself a glass and downed it. She refilled it and walked back up to her bathroom, turning the water off. Climbing inside, she slipped into the warmth with a sigh.

Her muscles relaxed, the hot water soothing the tension that had built up. Being with the clown all the time had taken a toll on her vessel as well as her true form. He was rough, like a bull in a china shop. She was covered with bruises and cuts almost always, constantly aching from a long night of fucking. On more than one occasion, she had been convinced that he was trying to kill her. His licks and caresses of her wounds did little to soothe them when she was working or trying to get to sleep.   
She did feel just a tad bit guilty for being so hard on him, but she just couldn’t deal with his pestering. His fondness of her was appreciated, because she felt the same, but she wasn’t used to sharing so much time with another being. Her time in Derry was extensive, and yet, she had no one. Mr. Lawrence was the closest thing she had to family, and that wasn’t saying much. People knew who she was, said hello, waved, but that was as far as it went. 

All of these thoughts rumbled around in her dizzy head as she continued to drink her champagne, plunging herself deeper down the rabbit hole. Little images began popping into her mind, the ones that Pennywise had found when he picked her brain. She smelled the sulfur, the burning bodies, the smoke. A face flashed in her vision, one that she thought she’d forgotten. It was large and long, with sharp angles. She recognized the granite flesh, gnarled and rough, because it looked just like hers, but… older. Aged. Tall, twisted horns jutted out from the large forehead, and beady, blood red eyes shined in front of her own. Lara gasped, dropping her glass and gripping the side of the tub until her knuckles turned white. The lights in her bathroom flickered and the room felt like it was shaking. She tried to open her eyes, will away the images, but she couldn’t. 

“Noatshanis…” a deep, echoing voice called to her, so loud that it felt like it would split her head open, “Noatshanis…time to come home…”

She felt an invisible force pull her down under the water and she fought against it to no avail. Her voice screamed out, producing air bubbles in the hot water. Claws shot out, teeth snarled, but she could gain no strength. The water felt like it was heating up, getting hotter and hotter until it seared her flesh. Pain radiated from every inch of her body, so intense she thought she’d pass out. She forced her eyes open and looked up through the water. A face was looking down at her, several faces, but she was unable to make them out. They were human, though. That much she gathered, and if they were human, they could be defeated. She had to push through the pain, put it aside and focus on the fact that she was going to die if she didn’t act. 

She thrashed her head against the hand that held it down, twisting and writing until she broke loose. When it plunged back into the water, she took hold of it in her teeth and bit down. Three fingers were ripped off, filling the tub with red blood that turned pink. She heard a choked scream from the owner of said fingers and pulled her head up from the water. Standing over her, Bible in hand, was the almost-priest, Adam Lawrence. She snarled, baring her teeth at him. 

“O water, creature of God, I exorcise you in the name of God the Father almighty…” he said before she was pushed back under. She forced her head back up, spitting at them as they spoke, “…to flight all the power of the Enemy, and be able to root out and supplant that Enemy with her apostate angels…”

The water began boiling again, blisters springing up all over her body. She screamed, throwing her head back in agony. There wasn’t a single area on her body that wasn’t burning. 

“I’ll burn you, apostle, I’ll burn you all!” her unearthly voice bellowed through the house, penetrating their ears. 

“Pour in the salt!” Adam shouted at one of the others that were with him. Lara knew that any pain she had felt up until this point was nothing compared to what she was about to feel. Another priest, adorned in his robes, came from behind Adam with a handful of it, throwing it at her body. She seized up, every nerve screaming at once, and was again pushed beneath the surface of the water. A hand grabbed her by the hair and brought her head up. 

“I command you unclean spirit, whoever you are, along with all your minions now attacking this servant of God, by the mysteries of incarnation, passion, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, by descent of the Holy Spirit, by the coming of our Lord for judgement, that you tell me by some sign your name!” Adam screamed in her face. 

Lara could feel a distinct pulling of her insides outward, as if she was being ripped in half from her stomach. She fought against it, scrunching her face up and panting.

“Go home, priest,” she spat at him, “You will get nothing from me. I will destroy this vessel before I’ll let you force me out.”

She laughed, deep, raucously, as her body rolled in the water. The pulling sensation dissipated as she regained her strength, managing the pain in her body and using it as a driving force to escape them. Her flesh was burnt and slimy, falling off in chunks to reveal red, sinewy muscle beneath. She ripped her hand free from one of the other priests and shot her palm out, sending him flying into the mirror on the back of the bathroom door. He collapsed, unconscious and bleeding. She looked next to the priest holding her feet, grinning evilly and holding her hand in front of her. It balled into a fist and she lifted it, raising him up into the air. His hands tore at his throat, trying to free himself from her invisible grasp. Beside her, Adam continued his chanting.

“I command you unclean spirit, tell me your name!” he shouted, “Leave this woman! Tell me your name!”

The tugging came back, stronger this time, and she released the other priest. He scrambled over to the one by the door, laying in the shards of the mirror. 

“Adam,” Lara’s baritone, teasing voice called to him, “Adam… Go home, Adam. Daddy wants you to go home and make money. Better go do it before he croaks. I’ll stuff him into a pine box and send him to you.”

The priest gasped, hands trembling as he tried to turn the pages in his ritual. She laughed at him, standing up in the bloody water. More flesh slipped from her body, hanging in strips. Her human vessel was irreparable, but she forced the rotten flesh to carry her anyway. 

“That’s enough of that,” she smiled, her razor-sharp fangs shooting through the human mouth, sending teeth flying at the priest’s face. She swatted her hand to the side and his Rituale Romanum was ripped from his fingers. It fell to the floor and she raised her hand up; the book burst into flames in front of them. A frightened cry left the priest’s lips as he looked at her, backing away. 

“Oh, what’s the matter? Don’t you want to play? You almost had me there, almost, but no cigar,” she laughed skulking over to him. Her bones snapped and cracked sickeningly, making the priest nauseous as he watched the flesh over top of them shift. 

“God, by your name, save me, and by…” he tried speaking, his words harmonizing with her own.

“…your might defend my cause,” she finished with him, “Doesn’t work unless you’ve got someone to answer your calls, priest. Shall I help you? Let’s see, how does it go? Oh, yes, ‘God, hear my prayer, hearken to the words of my mouth.”

She paused a moment, arms held in a shrugging stance. Adam’s feet kept inching back until he was pressed against a wall. She continued stepping towards him, grinning as blood dripped from her mouth.

“Where’s your God now, priest? Shouldn’t he be reaching his holy rod down and smiting me? I’m still here. You want to know why? Because I am so much more than a demon. I am one of the Guardians to the Throne. My Father made me special, created me in His image to be strong, to protect him against things like you,” she smiled, “And boy did he do a great job.”

A ripping noise filled the bathroom as the burnt flesh stretched beyond its limits. Adam watched in horror as the delicate legs of the woman before him tore, falling to the floor in two strips of slippery folds. Large, black, clawed hands split through the short fingers, the finger nails popping off in different directions. She snarled, letting her real face push through the brown-eyed one. Her claws gripped the flesh of her chest and pulled it apart, shedding it until what was standing in front of him was nothing like any demon that he’d heard of or seen in school. A massive, hulking figure of muscle and granite skin. The scraps of flesh squished as she stepped over them, taking the priest by the throat.

“You’ll be my gift to Him, he’ll keep your soul as a trophy,” she growled, squeezing his throat. His face turned blue then red as he sputtered, struggling against her. She smiled as she watched him gasp for air, but before she could finish him off, the strength in her body left her. Without something to contain the energy, it crumbled. It was not of this realm, and could not survive in it without a vessel. She slipped to the floor, gasping and dropping the priest, who sucked air back into his strained lungs. Her chest heaved uncontrollably and she shook. There was a pounding on the bathroom door, and it opened enough to let a body slip through. It was another priest, taking one look at the horror and screaming. He came in, shaking his fallen brothers to try to ruse them from their eternal sleep before he ran to Adam. Lara’s body was glowing red, the light emanating from inside her. A flame, burning her until her limbs began to disintegrate, little piles of ash remaining. Moments later, an inhuman scream erupted from her mouth as she was consumed.

 

Pennywise heard the scream, and dropped the body that he was chewing on. He sniffed the air, searching for her scent. When she was afraid, she smelled sweet, like vanilla. Her anger burned his nose, like too much pepper. He was used to all her different scents, but now, he could smell nothing. No fear, no lust, no anger. She was just…gone. His mind raced, trying to understand why she had disappeared. He took off, running out of the tunnels of his dwelling at full speed. A moment later, he was in her living room, sniffing around. The door had been kicked it and he could smell blood coming from the second floor. Long legs propelled him up the stairs and he was faced with two men in robes that he recognized as belonging to those who ran the human’s churches. They gasped in fear at the clown, looking at each other to check if what they were seeing was real. He snarled at them, grabbing one and biting a chunk from his neck. Pennywise pushed him aside and grabbed the other by the arm, tearing it clean off and swallowing it whole. With one shove, he broke down the bathroom door. The blood smell was overwhelming, and it was everywhere. In the tub, on the floor, on the bodies of the men laying lifelessly about. Two were still alive, he could smell their fear and anxiety. They had backed themselves into a corner when they saw Lara’s body bursting into flames, and were still cowering there. In two steps, Pennywise was standing over them ominously, white gloves splitting as huge claws erupted from his fingers. 

“Where is she?” he growled at them, drool spilling from his mouth. When he didn’t get an answer, he grabbed one of them by the chain of the large, golden cross he wore and twisted it around his neck, “Answer me, human. Where is the girl?”

“Dead!” he choked out, “She’s dead! It killed her!”

Pennywise shook his head in confusion, but snarled at the priest before snapping his neck. Adam screamed and Pennywise backhanded him. He fell like a ragdoll, cracking his head on the edge of the tub and landing motionlessly.

“Where are you, little one,” Pennywise muttered incoherently to himself, sniffing more and more, trying to locate her. His eyes caught the pile of ash on the floor and he bent down, picking up a handful of it. He brought it to his nose and sniffed; for a split second, he could smell her. Her pain, it was bitter on his tongue when he licked her wounds, and it smelled bitter in his nose now. Beside the ashes, partially burned, were chunks of skin. He grabbed a piece, dragging his tongue across is before spitting it out; it was her flesh, his little one’s. 

Pennywise had felt pain before. He’d gotten into his fair share of scuffles and full-on wars. He’d been wounded and maimed, stabbed, scratched, kicked. But the pain he was feeling now, it was different; it wasn’t physical pain… and yet it was. He felt an intense sinking inside his chest, like it was caving in. His breathing became erratic and his eyes flickered between three different colors repeatedly. The new feeling was overtaken by immense anger, hatred, and disgust. Growls rumbled from within his chest over and over, drool pouring from his mouth like a faucet. New ideas popped into his head every second, of all the things he wanted to do until he settled on one. He looked over at the priest, bloodied and choking, with a smile so sinister it could have run anyone’s blood cold.

“You think what she did to you was bad? Wait until you see what I’ve got planned,” he laughed.

 

Lara awoke with a gasp, eyes snapping open and her body sitting upright. She panted for a moment, looking around to figure out where she was. The images that she’d seen in the tub were all around her now. She recognized the landscape, the smells, the burning orange sky. Her eyes fell to her body, which was intact for the most part. She still had her wings, claws, teeth, and tail. It hurt, though, like millions of knives were being stabbed into her all at once. It was tolerable, especially after her ordeal with the priests. In front of her, she saw the tall, cathedral-esque formation that was the Throne Room. It loomed in the distance, hanging over her like a curse. If she wanted to get back to the surface, that was were she’d have to go, but her last encounter with her Father hadn’t left them on amicable terms, and the idea of going in there made her shake with fear.   
She got to her feet and slowly extended her wings, testing their strength. They hurt, but they were usable, and she lifted herself off the ground, taking off towards the ancient building. As she approached, she saw two Guardians waiting outside the doors, blocking her way in. They were much larger than she remembered. Perhaps her Father had decided to upgrade His creations. 

“Who are you to approach the Throne Room?” one asked in their native tongue.

“I am Noatshanis, previous Guardian to the Father,” she replied, standing tall. Inside, she was preparing for the worst. Would they haul her off to be tortured? Or just kill her on the spot?

Wordlessly, they opened the large, black doors that led inside, and she flew in, looking around. Everything still looked the same; old, dirty, burnt. Yet, even in its decrepit fashion, there was still an elegance to the Throne Room that she had never seen on Earth. It was far more ornate than the pictures of the churches that she had seen. Her Father’s throne alone made the Vatican look like a southern revival tent. She could sense that he was in the room, but didn’t feel that anyone else was. He didn’t like to be kept waiting, so she made her way down the long path that ended in front of a small set of stairs. Lucifer was seated in his throne, arms and legs stretched out as he leaned back comfortably. Lara dropped to her knees and bowed her head before him.

“Well, well. If it isn’t my little runaway,” he spoke slowly, his talons clicking on the arm of the throne as he drummed his fingers, “Noatshanis, the human sympathizer, has returned.”

She wanted to correct him, that she wasn’t a sympathizer; she just wanted to be left alone, but she didn’t dare. She kept her head tucked down and waited.

“Lift your head,” he commanded, and she did, looking up at him. He stood, tail dragging behind him as he descended the stairs from his throne to approach her, “Speak, creature, before I tear your soul in half.”

“Father,” she began, “I come before you to beg for forgiveness. I strayed, I deserted the pack. I know my mistake now. All I ask is a chance is redeem myself, to show that I am worthy of being part of your legion.”

He considered her for a moment, disgust on his face, “Why should I give you a second chance? You were created for me, to be mine, and instead you flee to the land of the wretches to cower away from what you are. You are a disgrace to our kind, Noatshanis.”

“Please, Father,” she wept, “They tortured me, they burned my vessel with their instruments. I want the chance to finish them off.”

“Yes,” he said, clicking his teeth together, “I heard your little promise to that priest. I must say, I was pleased to see that you had returned to the cause, but you fell short. Shedding your vessel like that to show off was stupid, and you know better.”

“My vessel was in shreds, Father, it was only a matter of time before I burst through it,” she explained, but he wanted no part of it.

“You were supposed to send me a soul, Noatshanis, and you didn’t deliver,” his tone told her to watch her own, because his patience was wearing thin, “You’ve been busy though, yes, you have. Cavorting with that creature. It could see your nature and how you hid it. It’s done more work for our cause than you could ever imagine doing, and it’s not even on our side! Maybe if you hadn’t been so busy concerning yourself with it you would have gotten my warnings sooner.”

She winced, his booming voice echoing in the empty hall around them, but he wasn’t finished.

“And now you let yourself get sent back here because of a lapse in judgement, expecting me to just send you to the surface so you can run off and mate with it. I should lock you in this cage with me and mate you myself! Clearly the only thing you’re good for is getting fucked!” he bellowed.

“Father, please, if you let me go back, I’ll send you the priest, the one who did this. He is newly ordained, and I think I broke him before my descent. Let me send him to you as a token of trust. I will send him to you, and if you see fit to let me stay above, I will send you more. I’ll send you more souls than you can possibly imagine. Please, allow me to avenge myself,” she pleaded, staring up at him with beaten down eyes. He was silent, thinking. For a moment, she thought he would just kill her and save himself the trouble.

“I will allow you to go back,” he relented, “But should you fail to follow through on your promise, I will destroy you and that mess in the sewers. Now get out of my sight.”  
Lara felt herself floating, drifting up out of the Throne Room towards the gates. They opened in front of her, showing the dark blue sky of Earth, and she leapt out into it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your soul is hunting me and telling me  
> That everything is fine,  
> But I wish I was dead.
> 
> Lana Del Rey, "Dark Paradise".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again for reading my work and dropping those kudos! It means a lot. I've just finished this story and will be posting the rest of the chapters once they've been edited.

June 30th

 

Any bit of humanity that Pennywise had was long gone, and this could be seen in the extreme spike in disappearances. He was no longer speaking in coherent sentences, only grunting. The fear that he usually instilled in his victims was something he didn’t have the patience for creating anymore, and he often just snatched them from their beds in the night without a sound. He was lonely, the only company he had being the rats that scurried through his cistern and the emaciated, dying priest that he kept chained to a piece of metal he’d jammed into his pile of trophies. Pennywise used him as a personal punching bag whenever he was feeling particularly enraged, which was almost always. Placed in front of the priest in a small pile were the ashes of his mate. He would sit in front of them, running his fingers through them, sniffing them to try to get a hint of her scent. When the priest was asleep, or had passed out from a beating, Pennywise would retreat to his stage car and sit in the corner, little wet tears floating up into the air before disappearing. He would then grow enraged at his own weakness, go hunt, beat the priest and the cycle would continue. His long rest seemed like it would never come. 

He was seated in front of the ashes at the moment, long legs sprawled in front of him while he chewed indifferently on the arm of a small child. The priest looked up at him with eyes swollen almost completely shut, and though he had few teeth left in his mouth, he still laughed.

“It’s not coming back, it’s in the Pit where it belongs, roasting with all the others,” he garbled out, spitting blood onto the cement in front of him. Pennywise snarled at him, baring his teeth. The little human was wrong; she would come back to him. She had to come back. He would keep the priest alive until she returned to kill him herself. 

Behind them, the sound of approaching footsteps made both turn their attention to the large drainpipe that led to The Barrens. A woman appeared inside it, staring at them. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she shone a flashlight on them, gasping.

“Holy shit, it’s real.”

 

Slithering along the tunnels was a black substance, a cross between fog and slime. It felt around, familiarizing itself with the environment, recalling it had been there before. A scent of cotton candy and old blood drew it closer and it knew it was in the right place. It shimmied along faster, eager to arrive at its destination. Finding a vessel would come after it first let the clown know it was alive. 

It sensed another presence besides the clown, though. Fear was seeping out of something that was nearby, and when the black substance rounded a corner, it discovered that the thing was a woman, paralyzed at the end of the drainpipe. 

Pennywise snarled at the girl, but when she tried to double back, she screamed. He looked past her to see black tendrils, like branches, covering the other side of the pipe. She was trapped between him and the unknown black abyss; she jumped from the drainpipe and landed in a ball on the cement, crying out in pain. Pennywise watched as the black tendrils poured down the pipe to the floor and grabbed the girl, lifting her into the air as they wrapped around her. She struggled against them, thrashing and screaming, until one of the tendrils forced its way down her throat, silencing her. The rest of it pushed inside her, disappearing as it overtook her body. There was a startled gasp and she dropped to the floor again, motionless. 

The clown walked over to the body, staring at it and waiting for something to happen. The eyes fluttered open and she sucked in a deep breath, rolling onto her stomach. She pushed herself up on her hands and knees, then to her feet shakily. Pennywise sniffed at the air, smelling something that caught him off guard. He looked down at the human that moments ago he was planning to eat, and watched as her blue eyes rolled over to complete blackness.

“Pennywise,” the voice said, and she reached a hand out to him. He was unsure, staring at it. Before she knew what happened, he grabbed her up by the shoulders and drew her close, pressing his nose against her neck to inhale. She sighed, leaning into his touch, the feeling of those big hands on her body again making her want to cry. He pulled his head back and stared at her.

“Little one?” he asked, his voice raw and unused, as if speaking for the first time.

“Yes, Pennywise, it’s me,” she said, feeling tears well up in her eyes. His own, which were up until this point a bright yellow rimmed with red, faded into the glassy blue that she was accustomed to. The long, black tongue shot out of his mouth and licked a stripe up the side of her face, tasting her salty tears, making him grin. 

“You were… gone,” he forced out.

“I know,” she said, “Those fucking zealots. They broke into the house, they tried to kill me.”

His eyes flashed red at her words before going back to blue. Still holding her in his grasp, he carried her over to the ashes and the priest, setting her down on her feet. She bent, scooping up a handful of her ashes and letting them slip between her fingers. Her eyes looked up at the chained priest as his chest began heaving. He knew that his fate was sealed.

“You…” she said, shaking her head, “You did this to me. I wasn’t hurting anyone in Derry, I was minding my business. But you had to come along and fuck it all up. Well, guess what? I’m going to turn this town into a blood bath, all thanks to you. I won’t rest until it’s wiped off the map, and I know exactly who I’m going to start with.”

She exhaled through her nostrils and felt the first ripples of her scales emerging from beneath the skin of the vessel. The first transformation was always painful, but they got easier the longer she was in control. She forced herself to go slow, to make sure she didn’t shred this one the way she had done the last one. Her claws pushed through the fingers, making them burn, and her fangs moved out and elongated. The clothes tore as her wings formed, slipping from the scales, and her tail grew slowly out from the top of her buttocks. Her bones cracked as they slipped into place and when she looked up at the trembling priest, she smiled. He recognized it from when she’d had him cornered in the bathroom. 

“I promised my Father a soul, and he’s going to get it,” the unearthly voice stated. Her toes clicked on the cement as she approached, thinking about all the different ways she could murder him. Pennywise stayed behind her, watching as she circled her prey. He couldn’t wait to see the priest die. After what he did to her, he would tear the flesh from his bones for sheer enjoyment. 

Lara scratched a claw down the side of the priest’s face, pushing his greasy hair out of the way to look into his swollen eyes. Tears poured down his cheeks and she laughed, digging a claw into his chest and dragging it down to leave shallow scratches. She stopped just above his stomach, tapping her long nail against his flesh.

“Tell me priest, would you like me to kill you before I disembowel you, or would you like to watch?” she asked, cocking her head to the side. He sobbed, spit and blood and tears dripping from his shaking frame. 

“Dealer’s choice,” she smiled, “Excellent.”

“No! No, please!” he begged, but she shook her head.

“Oh no, you’ve got to answer faster than that if you want a say. Now, let’s see. I’ll start here,” she said, pushing her clawed finger straight through the top of his stomach, up to the knuckle. He screamed, only fueling her adrenaline and bloodlust. She dragged it down until she reached his waist, blood gushing to the floor. Her clawed hands took hold of the skin and ripped it open, tearing a chunk away. She tossed it to Pennywise, who snatched it up and swallowed it. Reaching her hand into his abdomen, she felt the warm entrails that were threatening to spill out and grabbed them. With one hard yank, they came flying out of him with a disgusting splash as they landed at his feet. She laughed, stepping on them with her talons. The priest’s screams died down and his head slumped to the side, his body going slack. Lara howled in delight and turned to Pennywise, whose body was trembling at the sight before him. She may have been a lesser being than he, but she wielded the power she had with such ferocity and grace that he could have mistook her for one of his own.

She retracted her teeth and claws, letting the body return to its previous state, minus the clothes. He watched her naked form approach him, covered in nothing but blood, and grabbed her, wrapping his large hands around her ass. She held on to him by his costume, linking her ankles around his waist as she felt his throbbing erection pressing into her.   
He carried her to the stage car and put her down, flipping her onto her stomach before taking hold of her hips. Lara felt herself moan as his silken costume rubbed against her bare flesh. His hot breath hit her neck as he panted and she could feel drool pooling on her lower back. Claws marked her back and ass, and she heard the distinct ripping of cloth before a warm, slimy head poked at her entrance. 

“Pennywise,” she breathed, “hurry.”

He growled, warning her that he was still in control, regardless of how long she’d been gone. His cock pushed into her, stretching her painfully until tears streamed down her face. One hand took hold of the ponytail and pulled her head back while the other gripped her bare breast. She hissed, bucking into his thrusts as the sound of their skin slapping together echoed in the cistern. The noises he was making were inhuman, grunts that sounded pained as well as pleasured.

“Mine, mine, mine, all mine,” she heard him whisper as he forced his cock deeper into her, “Say you’re mine.”

“I’m… I’m…” she struggled to formulate the words as her walls began clenching around the massive cock.

“Say it!” he snarled at her, letting go of her breast to grip her throat instead, choking her. Her pussy twitched and she moaned, mouth falling open as her breath hitched in her chest. 

“I’m yours!” she screamed, practically crying, “Fuck, don’t stop!”

“Say my name,” he growled, mouth near her ear. His teeth sunk into her shoulder, making her yelp. His wet tongue lapped up the blood until it was gone, and then he forced her head down so her cheek was pressed into the wooden floor, “Say my name, little one, or I won’t let you come.”

She whined as he placed a gloved finger on her aching pussy, rubbing circles into the sensitive bead. It seemed like forever since she’d felt him inside her, and she was so eager that it was only a matter of time until she was at her end, wanting so bad to clench around the cock that was bringing her this immense pleasure. He rubbed faster, panting over her and drooling so much that it was flowing forward towards her face. Her thighs shook and she gasped, feeling the coil in her stomach begin to come undone.

“Pennywise!” she cried, pushing her hips into his as he fucked her. A pleased growl came from above her, but he slowed, pulling her back from the edge. She huffed angrily and pushed against his thrusts, standing back up on her hands to shoot him a pissed-off look. He laughed, teeth stretching his mouth into an enormous grin.

“You’re mine,” his voice rumbled, gravelly and low, “And you’ll come when I let you.”

She whined as he pushed in and out of her painfully slow, making her feel every inch of his slippery cock against her walls. His grip on her throat tightened and he pulled her upwards, pressing her back against his massive chest. She let her head fall back on his shoulder, the ruffles of his costume tickling her cheek. His pace picked back up, as did the sound of his grunts, and the hand that wasn’t choking her found its way back to her aching clit to tease it with a gentle flick every so often. Lara could feel her body sweating and trembling, wound so tightly that it could snap at any moment. Every muscle was tense and she clung to him as he pounded her, the wetness dripping down her thighs. He was relentless, torturing her through pleasure in a way she thought was impossible before she met him. Oh, how she had missed him during her brief stint in the Underworld.   
He bit into the wound on her shoulder again, making her scream as fresh blood gushed down her body. Her fingers knotted in the silk of his pantaloons, eyes screwed shut as her   
pussy gave another telltale sign of its release. 

“Pennywise,” she panted, “Pennywise, please, I can’t hold it. Let me come.”

“Is my little one tired already?” he chuckled, “We’ve only just gotten started, pet.”

“Fuck you,” she hissed, “Let me come, goddamn it.”

Before she knew what happened, he released her and she fell to the ground, scratching her knees and palms on the rough surface. Two large, clawed hands took hold of her hips and forced her onto her back, pulling her towards him. She growled as she felt the sting, but it was replaced with red hot pleasure as he shoved his cock back into her, holding her up so only her shoulders touched the ground. Her breasts shook with each thrust, only egging him on. His cock pulsated inside of her, hitting every spot in a way that shredded her nerves. The familiar stabbing pain in her hips radiated up her body as he dug his claws into her flesh, making her tense. Her eyes were wide and pleading as she watched him fuck her.

“Ask nicely, and Pennywise will consider your request,” he grinned, buckteeth gone and in their place, thousands of needle-like fangs.

“Fuck,” she breathed out, not wanting to give in. He pushed his claws further into her hips, producing more pain and her eyes snapped open to glare at him, tears spilling down her cheeks.

“I can make you beg,” he warned. She watched as his jaw slackened, and his long, thick tongue rolled down his chin, settling on her sex. It flicked at her bud, massaging it and teasing her. Loud moans escaped her lips as she bucked into it and his thrusts. His cock writhed inside her as he watched the sight in front of him with wild eyes rimmed in red. 

“How about it, pet? Ready for Pennywise to make you feel good?” his voice pierced her thoughts and she looked at him, panting.

“Yes,” she moaned, “Please, Pennywise, please make me come.”

Though his jaw was wide, she could still see the smirk on his face. He worked his tongue harder and faster, matching the licks with the rhythm of his hips. Lara rolled her own against him, each movement making her tighten up until one more touch of the wet tongue pushed her over the edge. 

“Pennywise!” she screamed, her back arching up as tremors of pleasure shook her body. Saliva poured from his mouth onto her burning hot body, cooling it. His left eye began wandering and he felt his own end inching closer. Lara went limp, gasping for breath, but Pennywise pulled her to his chest and sat back. Her weak frame clung to his own, still shaking as he continued fucking her. He clutched her hips and forced them to move against his own.

“We’re not done yet, little one,” he nipped at her neck, leaving teeth marks from her ear down to her collarbone. Her strength began returning to her and she rocked her hips, wincing each time she rubbed against his waist from the overstimulation. He gripped her back, his nails leaving four deep cuts on each side where her wings should be as he dragged them down. Lara tugged on his hair, eliciting a warning growl from him. More and more drool poured down her back, signaling his release coming, and she squeezed around his cock, rocking faster. 

“Come on, Pennywise, show me how much you missed me,” she whispered teasingly, giggling in his ear. He forced himself as deep as he could go, bottoming out each time until she felt his body begin to shake. Something between a howl and a roar echoed in the sewer and he spilled inside her, filling her up with the liquid fire that she’d come to love. She moaned as a smaller orgasm that she hadn’t known was building hit her, and she milked his cock. His cum dripped out of her as they stilled, both panting as they came down from their highs. She leaned back and looked at his face; his eye was shifting back into place and his sharp teeth were disappearing. A strange feeling came over her, telling her to do something that she wasn’t entirely sure they’d ever done. When she saw his blue eyes back, the red-rimmed ones gone, she gently stroked his jaw with her thumb. That purring noise she’d heard before vibrated his chest and she slowly closed in on him, placing a chaste kiss on his full lips. They were wet, still coated in the drool that he’d covered her in. She pulled away, looking at him to wait for a reaction. He was still, taking in what she had just done, his eyes looking past her. They flicked back to her with a cloud of confusion in them, but when his tongue shot out and licked up her face, she knew he understood the message.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baby, I wanna fuck you,  
> I wanna feel you in my bones  
> Boy, I'm gonna love you  
> I'm gonna tear into your soul.
> 
> Meg Myers, "Desire".

July 4th 

 

Lara and Pennywise remained in the sewers together for five days after her return, unable to bring themselves to leave each other. If he went hunting, she came with, watching how he charmed his victims and lured them in. She never got tired of seeing him play his little games, drawing out every bit of fear before ripping them to shreds. He told her how he’d found himself a nice group of kids that he planned on picking off eventually, exciting her to no end. 

When they weren’t hunting or eating, they were fucking. He’d had her in every possible position, even inventing some of his own. The clown was like a machine when he wanted to be; she’d be exhausted by the time he was done, having came at least five times before his first release, and he’d often fill her three or four times. She was covered in more cuts and bruises than she’d ever had in her previous vessel. He’d dragged out an old mattress from the pile of his things for her to sleep on, which was where they were curled up when Lara got the inkling to venture out.

“Penny,” she said, stroking his hair. He laid with his head on her lap, deep purring noises rumbling from his chest as her fingers caressed him.

“Hm?” he asked, tightening his grip on her leg where his hand rested. 

“What’s become of my house?” she asked. 

“I’m not sure, pet,” he replied sleepily, “I haven’t been there.”

“I’d like to go and see if I can get some things, I need clothes,” she sighed, looking down at her current vessel. Her old clothes would probably fit.

He rolled over, looking up at her face. She gave him a look and he huffed, sitting up to stretch. His bones cracked and creaked as he stood before he extended a hand to her. She took it, getting to her feet and adjusting the dirty, tattered clothes her vessel had been wearing when she wandered into the wolf’s den. They walked into the usual drainpipe they used to get out, but instead of taking the route that led to The Barrens, they went a different way that Lara hadn’t seen yet. It dead-ended and she looked around.

“Get on my back,” he said, bending down so she could climb on. She shot him another look but did as he said, linking her ankles together and wrapping her arms around his chest. When she was secure, he launched himself upwards, taking her by surprise. She hadn’t even noticed the opening above them. His claws dug into the stone walls, scaling them in record time until dim light could be seen. They reached the top and he climbed over the edge, letting her get down onto a dirt floor. She looked around, realizing that they’d been in a well and that now, they were in what looked like a basement. Pennywise was already headed for a set of stairs to the left and she followed him.

“Where are we?” she asked when they reached the main floor. It was an old house, filled with cobwebs and dirt. Windows were broken in, old furniture was falling apart, leaves were piled in corners of the rooms. Overgrown vines hung from the ceilings and rats scurried beneath their feet.

“Neibolt Street,” Pennywise replied. He disappeared around a corner and when she rounded it, he was in his human form. The normally expensive suit was traded for a black t-shirt and jeans. She smiled, arching a brow at him.

“Have I ever mentioned how delicious you look in that form?” she teased, making him roll his eyes.

“Yes, I’ve noticed your partiality towards it. Why, I’m not so sure,” he said, long legs leading them to the door. He ducked under the boards and walked out into the dying sunlight. She followed, catching up with him.

“It’s not so much partiality as it is…intrigue,” she explained, “I’ve seen what’s under that clown costume, now I want to see what’s under those designer threads.”

He looked at her, the green eyes flickering to an amber color for a moment to signal his interest. She smirked and they began the walk to her old street. It wasn’t very far, only a few blocks over. The summer air was sticky, making her sweat beneath her dirty clothes. The familiar stretch of sidewalk came into view eventually, but her heart sunk when she saw the state of her home. Weeds covered everything, growing tall on the lawn. The windows were broken in certain places, graffiti marking the side of the house where the driveway was. Tattered remains of caution tape were still tied to the tree in the yard and to her porch. She felt tears prickle her eyes and sighed, walking up the stone path to the stairs. The stairs creaked under their weight and she tried the door, finding it locked. Glancing around, she saw that the street was empty and knocked one of the small windowpanes in with her elbow. She reached her hand in through the broken glass and unlocked the door, the two of them slipping inside. 

The interior was slightly better preserved, but not by much. Everything was coated with dust and in dire need of some TLC. It pained her to see her home this way. She walked towards the kitchen, running her fingers along the back of the couch. Her robe still hung outside the bathroom where she always kept it. She turned, going towards the stairs that led to her room. Pennywise followed and they entered. In her closet, her safe was still waiting. First, she grabbed a bag and stuffed as many shirts, pants, and shoes as she could fit into it. Then she knelt at the safe, turning the knob and listening to the familiar clicking sound. Her stomach still rumbled when she heard it. The door swung open, her tarp and bloody clothes untouched. She moved them aside and pulled out several stacks of cash, stuffing them into the bag as well.

“Money? In the sewers? What can you possibly use it for?” he asked her.

“Do you have any idea how much I have here?” she deflected, “I could buy that house on Neibolt Street if I wanted to.”

“What’s wrong with the stage car?” he asked, folding his arms over his broad chest. She chuckled, shaking her head.

“Nothing, but I’ve lived in houses for four hundred years and when you take your twenty seven year nap, I’m going to need to have somewhere to stay,” she said, looking away from him. She didn’t even want to think about what she was going to do when he was gone. Twenty-seven years was a long time to be away from him.

He knitted his brows together but didn’t say anything else about it, sensing her sadness. There was no reason to make her upset when he still had time on the surface. She finished putting the money into the bag and stood up. Her fingers unbuttoned the dirty jeans she wore, dropping them to the floor for a pair of shorts instead. The sweatshirt went next, and she replaced it with a white t-shirt.

“Anything else?” he asked. She shook her head and they walked back downstairs, exiting the house. Lara didn’t even want to look back the home that she’d had for so long. She just hoped that whoever took it over next would treat it as kindly as she had. They were about to head back to Neibolt Street when she heard distant music playing, and looked in the direction of downtown Derry.

“It’s the fourth of July, isn’t it?” she said, biting her lip, “Derry’s street festival.”

Pennywise looked at her, an exasperated expression on his face. He already knew what she was going to ask before she could get the words out.

“No,” he said, “I am not going to partake in some trivial human holiday.”

“Come on Penny. There’s going to be kids running around without their parents watching them,” she smiled, hoping to convince him. He pursed his lips and exhaled through his nose. 

“Why do you care, you’re not even from this realm,” he put his hands on his hips and sighed.

“I want to get some popcorn and cotton candy,” she said, mimicking his stance.

“You eat humans!” he shouted and she looked around nervously, hoping nobody heard him.

“I can indulge in their food if I want to,” she hissed, grabbing him by the hand and tugging him along down the sidewalk. He growled but allowed her to direct him to the sound of the music and children screaming. The sky was getting dark and people was setting up their chairs for the fireworks. Lara grabbed a few bills from her bag and they slipped in the crowd. She spotted one of the food vendors and got in line, Pennywise standing beside her, looking around at everything. 

“Why are we standing here?” he asked her, eyes watching one of the workers spin the cotton candy onto the paper tube. 

“Because humans have to wait in line for their food,” she whispered. The man standing in front of her peeked over his shoulder, giving her a questionable look. She smiled sheepishly and arched a brow at Pennywise. His gaze had left the cotton candy and was now focused on a group of children running on the grass in the park behind the vendor. She could hear his low growls and cleared her throat, jabbing him in the side with her elbow. He looked down at her with a scowl, his eyes threatening to shift from green to orange. She widened her eyes at him and mouthed ‘STOP’. He huffed and looked back at the line. When they finally got to the window, he sighed in relief. Lara bought two bags of popcorn and two bags of cotton candy, as well as a fresh one to eat while they walked. She handed the popcorn to Pennywise and took the sugary treat, walking away towards the grass. He wrinkled his nose as she bit into it, eyes rolling back and a moan coming from her mouth.

“A cotton candy eating demon,” he said, shaking his head, “I’m surprised you’ve survived this long.”

“Oh, shut up,” she said with a mouthful, “Try some.”

“No,” he said, shaking his head.

“Come on! You make yourself smell like it to lure your victims in, but you won’t eat it?” she said, ripping a piece off with her fingers, “Open up.”

“Little one, I took you to your festival. I’m not eating human food,” he said, but she refused to let it go.

“Just try it,” she said, stepping closer to him, “Come on, open. I’ve seen your mouth take up your whole face, I think you can open your mouth for this.”

“Can we go hunting if I try it?” he asked, and she nodded, “Okay, I’ll try it.”

“Good,” she smiled, “Now, for the hundredth time, open up.”

He rolled his eyes and opened his mouth, letting her place the wad of cotton candy in it. She watched eagerly as he tasted it, his face scrunching at the texture until it melted. His eyes widened and she could see drool pooling on his lips.

“Humans don’t usually drool on themselves, Penny,” she said, waving her hand in front of his face. His focus returned to her and he pulled another piece of cotton candy off, scarfing it down. Lara laughed and took one more bite before handing him the entire stick.

“I told you it was good,” she said, “And if you think that’s good, wait until you try the popcorn.”

 

They walked around until it was completely dark, and all Lara had to do was keep a bag of cotton candy in his hands at all times. She was amazed he hadn’t hurled yet, but figured that maybe his kind didn’t do that. More than once, she had to yell at him to control the drooling and reminded him to keep the happy purring quiet. The fireworks were due to start soon, and she had to explain that people liked them because of the colors even though they were loud, which he had a hard time understanding. They’d just left the cotton candy line for a third time, but Lara insisted that he not eat the four bags she’d just bought because his human form would get diabetes if he didn’t stop. He pouted, unsure of what that was but angry that it meant he couldn’t have more. 

“Are you ready to leave now, little one?” he asked, looking around at the people chattering away while they waited in the grass. Lara was looking at the woodsy area of the park, and walked towards it, turning back to look at him.

“Yeah, just come here for a sec,” she said, smiling wickedly. He looked around and followed her, trying to understand why she was going into the trees, of all places. She went deep in, getting out of earshot and away from the families. 

Stopping front of a tree, she placed down the bags of cotton candy. Pennywise looked at her confused until he caught a scent and sniffed at the air, eyes burning orange when he looked back at her. He knew the look she was giving him and a low growl slipped from his mouth. She backed him against the tree and dropped to her knees, fingers fumbling to unbuckle the belt and get the front of his pants open. An erection was already straining to get out of the denim and she pulled it free, admiring it with a lick of her lips. In his normal form, his cock was long and thick; it matched the white of his face, but the tip faded to the dark red of his lips. This one wasn’t quite as large, but was still nothing to scoff at. It appeared as normal male genitalia did and she felt a sting of arousal hit her as she thought of all the dirty things she wanted to do to him. She wrapped her hand around him and pumped, eliciting a hiss from between his teeth. Her tongue swirled around the tip, lapping up the bit of precum beginning to drip from it. 

Until now, she’d never tried to give him head. Their sex was usually rough and right to the point, Pennywise not being one for foreplay. She didn’t exactly mind, but the idea of sucking him off in public where anyone could catch them was an opportunity she didn’t want to pass up. He leaned against the tree and moaned, his jaw going slack as he shut his eyes at the sensation. She took more of him into her mouth, bobbing her head slowly at first to enjoy how he reacted to the new feelings on his cock. It wasn’t long before he started bucking his hips, pushing further into her mouth each time. Her fingers gripped his thighs and she let him go at his own pace while his fingers gnarled in her hair. 

The sounds coming from his mouth were obscene, making her wetter with each passing minute. He bottomed out, hitting the back of her throat and groaning, holding himself there for a moment before continuing his thrusts, going just as deep each time. Spit dripped from Lara’s mouth and she looked up at him, watching his eyes slowly grow tinged with red as he fought to maintain control. She hummed and he grunted, whining as she dragged it out.

“Take it…that’s a good girl, good girl…” he groaned, stroking her hair before gripping it in his fist again. Her jaw ached, but she was so turned on that she couldn’t focus on it, too engrossed in watching him come undone. She licked along the thick veins on the underside of his cock and felt him tense up, knowing that he was close. Her bedroom eyes rolled shut as she released her grip on his thigh to slip her hand down her shorts, massaging her pussy. He threw his head back at the sight and pushed her down on his cock as he pumped his cum down her throat. It burned just as bad as when he was inside her, but it tasted sweet, like the cotton candy that he’d been eating all night. She swallowed it down, swirling her tongue on the head of his cock once more before he pulled out of her mouth. Her lips were swollen and she gasped for air, but before she could recover he pulled her to a standing position, kissing her forcefully to taste himself on her tongue. He traded places with her, giving her a shove until her back hit the tree. She yanked her shorts down as he bent, running his cold fingers up her bare legs. Her pussy quivered as he drew closer to it, licking wet trails up her thighs until landing at her juncture. 

“Mm, so wet for me,” he said, his voice low as he smiled, “All this just from my cock in your mouth, little one?”

He leaned in, putting her leg over his shoulder to reach her better. That hot, wet tongue teased her, flicking her clit softly, not nearly enough to give her the pleasure she sought. Lara whined, rolling her hips into his mouth and gripping the tree to brace herself. He looked up at her, and she watched as he licked his fingers, pushing one into her to the knuckle. She squeezed around it, desperate to feel something inside her. He chuckled and added a second, pumping them before bringing his tongue back to her sex. It circled her bud, sending little shockwaves up her body. Moans that she couldn’t control flowed from her mouth and she tugged his hair, grinding her pussy against his tongue.   
He curled his fingers and moved them faster, the squelching sound they made both embarrassing her and turning her on even more. His tongue matched their pace, rubbing her in the right spot each time until she was a shaking, sweating mess. Her chest felt tight as she gasped for breath, wanting so bad to get her release. Taking a page from her book, he hummed and sent vibrations straight to her clit.

“Oh, Pennywise,” she cried, twitching and convulsing as she inched closer to her orgasm. He chuckled, enjoying his ego being stroked. Her hips rolled again, meeting his licks and the movement of his fingers. He could feel her thighs shaking and wrapped his lips around her clit, staring up into her eyes. 

“I’m, ah, fuck, Pennyw—” she couldn’t finished the sentence as he growled and she came, so hard that she pushed him with the leg against his back to get him closer. He flattened his tongue, letting her rock against it as she clenched around his fingers. She jerked her body away as he licked, the overstimulation too much. Letting her leg slip off his shoulder, he pulled his fingers out of her and stood, pressing against her shaking body. She let her mouth fall open and he placed his fingers on her tongue, letting her suck them clean. He groaned appreciatively and leaned his forehead on hers as they caught their breath. 

A twig snapped and they turned in the direction of the sound. Lara quickly pulled her shorts back up and Pennywise pulled away from her, moving slowly towards the noise. He feet were silent as he walked, hunched over and his hands ready to turn into claws if need be. Lara watched him and felt another pang of lust go straight to her groin. It was different from the usual lust, though. She knew what it was, and groaned to herself. Was it here again, already? Her mind counted the years and she realized it had to be. 

Mating season.

“Penny—” she whispered, but he snapped his head in her direction and raised a finger, telling her to be quiet. He looked back towards the grass and saw a young boy hiding behind one of the trees, peeking out every so often, giggling. Pennywise’s mouth watered, drool spilling from the full lips. He slipped behind a tree and changed back to his clown form, giving Lara a look that said ‘Wait here’.

“Hiya,” his sing-song voice made the child jump, spinning around to see the giant clown standing over him, “Are you lost, little boy?”

“N-No,” the little boy swallowed thickly, leaning back against the tree, “I’m playing hide and seek with my brother.”

Pennywise could smell the fear and smiled, buckteeth hanging out over his lip, “Oh! How fun! I know a good place you can hide. Want to see?”

The little boy looked like he wanted to go, but wasn’t convinced yet, “I’m not supposed to go anywhere with strangers.”

“Oh! What a smart boy,” Pennywise grinned, “I’m Pennywise, the Dancing Clown! What’s your name?”

He give a little shake and made the bells on his costume jingle, just like he had when Lara first met him in her living room. She poked her head around the tree to look at him, feeling herself get wet all over again as she watched him lure in the child. 

“Alex,” he said, sounding a little calmer. 

“Alex…” Pennywise said thoughtfully, “Now we’re not strangers. Do you still want to see the hiding spot?”

Lara couldn’t see, but she assumed the little boy nodded, because she heard Pennywise giggle happily.

“Good! Follow me,” he said, and she could hear him approaching the tree she was behind. The fireworks began going off, making her jump. She slid around the tree when 

Pennywise led the boy further into the woods, positioning herself behind the two of them, should the boy try to run. Her heart pounded in her chest, the bloodlust churning in her stomach. It was hard for her to think that she willingly gave this up. The hunt was something that she looked forward to, and it was even more fun now that she had someone to do it with. 

“Okay Alex, you wait here and close your eyes. I’ll make sure your brother doesn’t find you,” Pennywise said.

“Okay!” the little boy said, leaning against a tree and covering his eyes with his hands. Pennywise looked to Lara and nodded. He moved behind another tree and Lara appeared from hers, walking towards the boy, snarling. Growls rumbled from her chest and she let her fangs hang out of her mouth, strings of spit dripping from them. 

“Alex… Alex…” her unearthly voice called to him. She could hear Pennywise sniffing at the air in delight, sucking in the fear pouring off the child.

“Where are you, Alex?” she called, her claws producing a ripping noise as they protruded from her human hands. The little boy was shaking and whimpering, too scared to uncover his eyes. She lunged at him and grabbed him by the wrists, forcing his hands away from his face. Before he could even scream, she unhinged her jaw and took a bite from his throat, sending blood shooting out at her. Pennywise ran to her side and bit down on his shoulder, ripping the arm clean from the socket. They dragged the body further into the woods, away from prying eyes, and devoured it. The fireworks hid the moans of pleasure as they tore the flesh from the bones and gorged themselves. When they were finished, they shifted into their human forms again and retrieved their bags of snacks from where they’d left them. Pennywise took Lara by the arm and before she could even blink, they were in front of the entrance to the sewers in The Barrens. She felt dizzy from the sudden change and leaned against the cement to steady herself. The burning sensation was still in her belly and groin, making her groan. 

They walked through the tunnels until they reached the cistern. Lara dropped the bags and flopped onto the mattress, clutching her stomach. Pennywise looked at her with concern and knelt down, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“What is it, pet?” he asked, getting a hint of something else mixed in with her scent. It wasn’t the usual smell of her arousal. It was sweet, overwhelmingly so, and poured off her. 

“You know how you were in heat back in February?” she asked, looking up at him. He nodded and she sighed, “Well, demons don’t really go into heat. I mean, they can, but it’s not because they want to mate, it’s more because they just want to fuck. It’s hard to explain. Anyway, there’s a certain time when we can mate and actually have a chance of…reproducing.”

“You can’t produce offspring any other time?” he asked. She shook her head.

“Not really. There isn’t a real need for us to produce offspring because demons usually come from humans who give their soul to our Father. You’d be surprised how many actually do that. They’re seen as…purer, than the offspring of two demons. So to keep things pure, demons are only allowed to mate every thirteen years. It only lasts for thirteen days, and then the window of opportunity is over. They usually try to mate with our Father because they think offspring from him will be stronger,” she explained while he listened. 

“So… I can breed you for the next thirteen days and produce offspring?” he asked, the thought enticing him. Drool pooled in his mouth and poured out onto the wooden stage. 

“Well, that’s the thing. We’re two different creatures from two completely different species. It may not work, and if it does, who knows if the offspring will even survive,” she said, seeing the excitement building in him. As badly as she wanted to feel him inside her, to relieve the pressure in her body, she was afraid of what might come from the two of them procreating. His body was practically vibrating, every instinct telling him to bend her over and breed her. She could see him slowly losing control, until he pounced on her and pinned her beneath him. 

“Penny…” she began to protest, but the feeling of his erection digging into her aching sex shut her up. Hot saliva poured on her shirt and before she could get it off, a clawed hand shredded it to bits. He did the same to her shorts, pulling them away from her pussy to lick a wet stripe up it, making her hiss.

“Tasty, tasty,” his voice rumbled. She watched his left eye drift off and he purred loudly, flipping her onto her stomach. His claws pulled her hips to his own and he ripped a hole in his costume, lining his cock up at her entrance. With no warning, he pushed deep into pussy. She scrambled to get away, pain shooting up her spine as he hit her cervix, but he held her tightly in his grasp. 

“Ah, fuck,” she hissed as he snapped his hips in short bursts, filling her up each time. Her eyes rolled back as she let him take control of her body; he leaned over her and nuzzled against her neck, panting and drooling. She loved his closeness and tilted her head to rest against his, a small purr coming from her own mouth before she realized it happened. He chuckled and licked her shoulder and neck, bringing his hands over her own. She watched as the nails dug into the fabric of the mattress and his grunts grew louder. Little sentences slipped out between his growls, some unintelligible and others just fragments of thoughts. 

“Pennywise will fill you up,” he panted, “Gonna breed you, little one.”

She rolled her hips into his and met his thrusts, falling to her elbows to angle her ass in the air. Her fingers found her clit and rubbed it, only making him fuck her harder. Moans poured from her as her stomach contracted and the pressure in her groin hit a breaking point. Her pussy tightened around his cock and he snarled, biting into her shoulder deeper than intended. She screamed and he licked the wound, cleaning the blood off. Despite the pain, she felt herself getting ready to come and growled. 

“Don’t you dare stop, Pennywise,” she warned him, feeling her jaw drop as the heat inside her spread down her lower half. She cried out, an inhuman roar; her fangs and nails shot out, and Pennywise felt her tail wrap around his leg so tight it almost stopped him from moving. Gasping, she trembled and sank to the mattress, letting him take back over. He held her hips in place and his grunts kept getting louder until Lara felt him seize up, hissing as he spilled into her. Instead of slowing and pulling out, he continued his relentless fucking, never once losing the rock hard erection that he buried in her. If this was any indicator of his feelings towards her mating season, she knew she was in for a long thirteen days.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fallin' all over myself  
> To lick your heart and taste your health 'cause  
> With the bird I'll share this lonely view.
> 
> Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Scare Tissue".

July 17th

“Ah! Ah, Penny, harder!” Lara moaned, her fingers tangled in her hair and her eyes squeezed shut. The clown towered over her, snarling with each thrust. He gripped her hips and held them in the air, keeping only her shoulders touching the ground. Another orgasm had her whining and crying as it made her walls contract around his cock. She’d lost track of how many she’d had in the past four hours, and the number she’d had since the beginning of her mating season was well into the triple digits. So far, they’d had no luck, and with each failed attempt, she could sense Pennywise growing more desperate to make it happen. It didn’t seem likely; she’d seen a few mating seasons before coming to the surface, and it was almost immediate for those she’d known. Only those who had to wait for a mate procreated on the last few days of the cycle, and even then, it took them only a couple tries. She couldn’t bring herself to tell Pennywise that though, he’d seemed so eager to breed her, but her body was exhausted and aching. Her vessel was covered in head to toe bruises, bites, scratches, and cum. Every muscle was on fire. All for nothing.

He groaned and jerked his hips forward, filling her again. A small bulge in her abdomen showed his handiwork. She waited for him to pull out, but he seemed eager to continue trying.

“Pennywise, I’m exhausted, I can’t keep going,” she pleaded, near tears. He could see her distress but couldn’t get past the fact that he hadn’t been able to give her offspring.

“There’s only a few hours left,” he grunted, “We’re almost out of time.”

“I need a break,” she said, legs trembling where he held them. He didn’t want to stop, not without finishing what he started, but they were starved and exhausted. Growling, he pulled out and held her legs, tilting her body upwards to prevent too much of his seed from spilling from her. They waited like that for a bit, until her back felt as if it would snap in two.

“Well?” Pennywise asked. She shook her head and he huffed, growling angrily. He let go of her legs and she collapsed onto the mattress, his cum leaking out of her at a steady rate. 

“We can try again in a little while. It’s been too long without food, that’s all. Let’s go hunting and then when we come back we’ll do it again,” she said, hoping he’d agree.

“I’ll bring back something, you stay here,” he said, disappearing before she could argue with him. She watched him run off down the drainpipe and sighed, looking down at her broken body. It would take her a long time to recover from these thirteen days. She was just happy that it only happened every thirteen years because there was no way she’d make it if the time between cycles was shorter. Her eyes drooped and she felt herself drifting off into sleep. 

When she came to, she saw that Pennywise was still gone, but there was tremendous pressure in her abdomen. Her eyes widened as she saw the bulge was gone, but her stomach was glowing a dim yellow. Tears streamed down her face as she watched it pulse, relieved that she wouldn’t have to be subjected to Pennywise’s efforts anymore. That nagging feeling of unease was still in her mind, though, because she was afraid of what they created. A distant screaming caught her attention and she knew that he was back with dinner. When he appeared in the drainpipe with a teenager in tow, she waved him over, sitting up on her elbows. He saw the glow and snapped the teenager’s neck before running to her.

“You’re glowing…is that good?” he asked, eyes wide. She nodded and he grinned, looking down at the light inside her. He placed a hand on it in wonder, excited that he’d been successful. The light died down and she felt her stomach rumble. Her eyes went to the dead human and she stood up, slowly shifting into her true form. They went to the corpse and feasted, feeding until they were unable to move. 

Lara got up after a while and went back to the mattress, settling down on it. Pennywise followed and laid down with his head in her lap, purring so loud she could feel his entire body vibrating. She stroked his hair and shut her eyes, relaxing.

“How long?” he asked, breaking the silence. She opened her eyes, thinking for a moment. 

“Normally about six months,” she said, “What about your kind?”

“It’s relatively quick, a few weeks at most,” he said. That worried her. There was such a stark difference, what if it came out with something wrong with it? Underdeveloped? Or worse, overdeveloped? It could kill her. 

“What will it look like? You’ve seen my true form, but I have yet to see yours,” she said.

“It’s nothing that you’ve ever seen, or any Earthbeing. It resembles a spider,” he said between purrs. She swallowed hard, concern building in her. 

“Oh,” was all she managed to squeak out. Pennywise could feel her anxiety and turned to look up at her.

“In that form, my kind lays eggs. Reproduction depends on the form that we’re in. It’s likely that it will have some of my current features,” he said, and she sighed in relief. 

“If that’s the case then we should have mated with you in human form,” she smirked, making him frown, “I’m joking, Penny.”

He grumbled to himself but settled back into her lap, purring again. Occasionally his hand would rest on her stomach, rubbing it. She smiled as she watched. It was almost comical to see a being that tore children apart on a daily basis fawning over its own offspring. He suddenly sat up, sniffing furiously at the air.

“What?” she asked. He got to his feet and continued sniffing, “Pennywise, what is it?”

“Stay here,” he said, disappearing from her sight in an instant. Something had to be wrong. She got to her feet and grabbed her clothes. Stretching her wings, she flew off towards the drainpipe, following it on foot where she couldn’t fly. When she got to the dead end, she looked up to see dim light at the top of the well. She heard screams, dull and quiet, but definitely screams. It was too narrow for her to fly up, so she jumped as high as she could and began scaling the stone walls. Pennywise made it look so easy when she had been on his back, but now she felt her muscles trembling as they struggled to support her weight. She looked down, seeing how far she climbed and how far she would fall if she let go. It gave her the boost she needed and she forced her aching body to push forward. She reached the top of the well and flopped over the side, gasping as the tension in her limbs was alleviated. Clambering to her feet, she shifted to her human form and slipped her clothes on, running up the stairs. The door was shut and she jiggled the doorknob, trying to open it. She banged into it, throwing all her weight forward. The screams were louder now, and right on the other side. Finally, the door gave way and she fell to the dirty floor, staring up at the scene before her. 

Pennywise was crouched on the floor, facing her but his attention was on two boys who stood paralyzed in front of him. Eddie was backed against the wall behind him, gripping his arm. 

“This isn’t real enough for you Billy? I’m not real enough for you?” Pennywise asked, his eyes and hair wild. 

“Holy shit,” one of the boys said. Lara was afraid to intervene, unsure of what exactly was going on. 

“It was real enough for Georgie!” Pennywise cackled and got to his feet, running at the two boys. To her left, Lara saw movement and before she could act, a young girl ran at Pennywise and shoved a metal pike through his face.

“No!” Lara screamed, drawing attention to herself finally. Pennywise stood still as a statue and she watched his dark blood floating up into the air and dissipating. They ignored her, running to Eddie. Her heart hammered in her chest and she looked up at him with wide eyes. He winked and grinned, stretching his mouth around the pike so that his smile almost went up to his ear. One eye was gone, replaced with the end of the metal, and the other was bright red. He spun around, growling at the children and cackling. He lunged towards the door that led out, swinging the pike and slicing the stomach of another boy. She watched him back away and bow before slipping out of the doorway to a different part of the house. One of the boys got up and charged after him, but Lara got to her feet and grabbed him by the shirt. 

“L-Let me g-g-go! He c-c-c-can’t get a-away!” he protested. Lara’s claws shot out and dug into his shoulder, her eyes rolling black. The kids gasped as they saw her.

“You will stay away from this house, all of you!” She snarled, her voice the deep, inhuman one she used to scare her prey, “I’ll kill each one of you myself.”

She shoved the boy back towards his friends and he fell to the floor, backing up on his elbows to get away from her. As badly as she wanted to attack them, she was severely outnumbered and couldn’t risk getting overpowered with Pennywise incapacitated. She sensed he was still in the house somewhere, he’d never leave her alone, but he was injured. 

“Go!” she screamed at them, letting her jaw go slack and baring rows upon rows of teeth to them. They scattered, taking off out of the house to run to their bikes. When she was sure they were gone, she ran to where she’d seen Pennywise go, following his scent to another entrance to the basement. He was on the edge of the well, and when he saw that she’d found him, he slipped down it. She sighed, not looking forward to having to climb. On the ground nearby, there were several coils of rope. She secured one end to a hook hanging over the well and let the rest drop, testing the strength of it. Satisfied, she carefully took hold of it and slowly began lowering herself down to the bottom. It took a lot longer than she would have liked, and she had to jump the last five feet because the rope wasn’t long enough. She landed on her feet though, and instinctively placed a hand on her belly, feeling the pulse. Now she just had to get back to the cistern.

When she got there, Pennywise was sitting in the back of the stage car with the pike still through his head. She ran to him, falling to her knees in front of him. He growled at her and she arched a brow at him. 

“Let me help you,” she said, feeling tears prickle her eyes as she saw how bad it was. 

“No,” he said through clenched teeth, “I told you to stay put, why did you follow me?”

“Because I wasn’t about to sit idly by while you ran off without telling me what was going on, and it’s a good thing I did,” she snapped at him, “Now let me help you goddamn it.”

“What if they’d hurt you?” he grumbled.

“They’re children,” she rolled her eyes, “The only reason they got you was because there were more of them that came from nowhere. Sit still.”

She inched closer to him and moved to the side of his head where the pike had gone through his eye. The undamaged one followed her and she saw a tear floating away into the air; her heart clenched at the thought of him in pain, and she hated herself for what she was about to put him through. She gently rested her hand on his head, smoothing the red hair and running her fingers through it. 

“Do it quick,” he said, and she nodded.

“Brace yourself,” she said, taking hold of the pike. Her eyes shut and she took a deep breath, pulling it hard towards her. It came halfway out, but Pennywise was howling and screaming. More teeth than she’d ever seen filled his mouth and he was shaking. 

“I’m sorry!” she cried.

“Pull it out!” he snarled. Before he could shout at her again, she grabbed the pike and ripped it the rest of the way. It landed on the wooden floor with a clang! and his hand came up to his eye immediately, covering it. 

She rubbed his head again and took his wrist, slowly pulling his hand away from his eye, “Let me see.”

He moved it and she winced. It was a bloody, gaping mess. His eye was torn to bits and on the side of his face, his jaw was bleeding. She swallowed thickly and sighed. A few stray tears slipped down her cheeks and Pennywise watched them with his good eye. He could feel her pain and sadness. Leaning forward, he licked a stripe up her face and tasted the tears. She couldn’t help but giggle, making him smile when he saw that she wasn’t crying anymore. 

“I’ll be fine, little one. Just need to heal,” he said, his speech slightly off from the injury to his jaw. She nodded and slid into his lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He purred and snuggled against her, stroking her hair as she had done to him. They remained like that for an hour before Lara began to stir, stretching her arms and toying with the fabric of his costume.

“I’m going to get something to eat,” she said, readying herself to get up from his lap, but he held her in place.

“No, you need to stay here. I’ll go,” he said. She huffed, shutting her eyes in frustration.

“Pennywise, you’re in no condition to go and I’m not going to break just because I’m carrying,” she said, shaking free of his grasp, “I can’t promise it’ll be a kid, but it’ll be food regardless.”

He didn’t like it, not one bit. He was supposed to be the one getting the food, keeping her safe, nurturing her while she was growing their offspring. So far, he had not only taken forever to plant himself within her, but also had to be rescued by her and now he had to let her leave to get them food. He growled angrily but let her go. She placed a kiss on top of his large forehead and walked out towards The Barrens. 

Lara didn’t have the shapeshifting abilities Pennywise had, so she had to get a little more creative when it came to scaring up dinner. She remembered the bar nearby, but it was still fairly early and she doubted there’d be anyone in there she could lure out. Besides, with so few people in there, one of them going missing would be too obvious. She trudged through the stream and climbed the hill that she’d thrown the drunkard down so many months ago, the memory making her smile. Once at the top, she stopped and sat on the metal barrier, sweat dripping down her face. The late afternoon sun was brutal and she felt more fatigued than normal. Glancing down at her stomach, she saw that it had already begun to distend, only a slight bump now. 

A loud car came flying down the road, screeching to a stop in front of her. Three teenaged boys looked at her, quite obviously mentally undressing her. She pursed her lips and stood up, sauntering to the rolled down window. 

“Hey there,” she smiled, bending enough for her cleavage to be visible to the one sitting on the passenger’s side.

“Hey,” the one driving said, his mouth twitching into a nervous smile. He looked too young to be driving a car this nice, and she assumed it was his father’s.

“You need a ride?” the one in the passenger’s seat asked, arching his brow. He had a full face and squinted into the sun as he tried to look at her, the trucker hat he wore not helping him.

“Well, actually, I was going to go exploring those tunnels near The Barrens, but I don’t want to go alone. You think you could come with me?” she asked, pouting her lips and blinking playfully, “I’ve heard some rumors about something that might live down there.”

The three of them exchanged a look. The one in the back looked skittish as did the driver, but the one in the passenger’s seat had no qualms about it. 

“Hell yeah I’ll come with you,” he said, forcing her to back up as he swung the door open. 

“Belch! The fuck are you doing?” The driver asked. 

“I’m gonna take her down there, that’s what the fuck I’m doing,” he said, and Lara wondered for a moment what kind of name ‘Belch’ was. Regardless, she smiled and looked at the other two expectantly.

“Well I’m not going trudging through Derry’s shitwater,” the driver said, “I’ll catch you later, Belch.”

The car took off and Belch threw his hands up, yelling, “Pussies!”

“It’s okay, we’ll still have fun,” Lara said, backing up towards the barrier. Belch looked at her and grinned, following her. They carefully walked down the hill and upstream towards the entrance to the sewers.

“So do you go to Derry High? I’ve never seen you around,” he asked. She thought for a moment, glancing down at her vessel. The body was young, not more than nineteen or twenty years old. She shook her head.

“No, I graduated already,” she replied, casting a smile over her shoulder at him.

“That’s cool, college chicks are hot,” he said, making her roll her eyes. They got to the entrance and she walked in, but he stopped, shifting from foot to foot. She turned around, looking at him expectantly.

“Aren’t you coming?” she asked, resting a hand on her hip.

“I…I don’t know. Why do you want to go in there so bad anyway?” he asked, swallowing hard.

“I told you. I wanted to see if what everyone says about the sewers is true,” she said.

“Yeah, and what if it is?” he asked, clasping his hands behind his head and exhaling.

“Come on, don’t chicken out on me now,” she jeered playfully, “Besides, if you come, I’ll make it worth your while.”

She winked at him and licked her lips, wagging a finger to beckon him. His horny, teenager mind took control and he stepped in, covering his nose at the smell. Grinning, she continued walking down the tunnel, slowly leading him towards the cistern. A few times he’d tried copping a feel of her ass, but she’d swatted his hand away, promising that she’d blow him once they were done. Finally, they reached the cistern. Belch’s eyes grew wide.

“Holy shit,” he said, looking up at the tower of toys and at the stage car. Pennywise was hiding, but she wasn’t sure where. She jumped from the drainpipe to the cement floor, turning to look at Belch.

“Come on! Let’s go check it out,” she called, but he shook his head.

“I don’t want to go near that shit!” he said, getting ready to turn back.

“Don’t you want that blowjob?” she asked, “I’ll give it to you right now if you come down.”

Lara smiled seductively, slowly peeling off the sweat-soaked t-shirt she wore, her bra the only thing covering her dignity. Belch was entranced and with an exasperated grunt jumped down, rolling his ankle during his landing. He shouted, crumpling into a ball and gripping his foot. 

“Goddamn it,” he groaned, “Now how am I supposed—” 

He was cut off by a low growl from above him. Lara looked up and saw that Pennywise was perched atop the drainpipe that they’d come out of, drooling with his teeth bared. Belch gasped and scrambled to try to get way, but a hooked hand dug into the back of his neck, pinning him where he was. He looked over and screamed, seeing the beautiful women who’d escorted him through the tunnels with rows of fangs and gray, scaly skin, eyes black pools. She grinned, her fork tongue poking between her teeth.

“Bet you’ve never been blown by a demon, have you Belch?” she asked, voice distorted. Pennywise leapt from his perch and landed in front of them, squatting before he slowly stood up tall. 

“Ready to float, Belchy Boy?” he asked, buckteeth hanging over his lip, “Your friend Patrick is floating. He loves it down here with us, doesn’t he little one?”

Lara chuckled, nodding her head. Belch struggled to get away as the clown inched closer to him, but she held him securely in place. She grabbed his hat and flung it across the cistern, taking hold of his hair in her clawed hand to pull his head back, exposing his neck. Pennywise leaned his head down, sniffing the fear oozing from the boy while he whimpered. His teeth pushed forward from his mouth and his eyes rolled to the back of his skull as he took a huge bite from the juncture between the boy’s shoulder and neck. He screamed and fell to the floor, blood gushing from the wound. Lara pounced on him, taking another bite from where Pennywise had, drinking the blood that poured from the wound. She moaned, savoring the warm liquid as it filled her hungry belly. 

Pennywise ripped into his gut, tearing through his entrails hungrily. She was happy that she’d been able to at least find something other than an adult to bring down here for him, and judging by the slurping and grunting, it was appreciated. Smiling, she bent down and ripped another chunk from Belch’s neck. When they were done, Pennywise grunted in satisfaction and walked to the stage car.

“Come here, little one,” he called to her, and she stood up, following him. He walked around the side of the stage car and she saw two small steps that led to a door, a dim amber light coming from inside. She looked at him, confused; she’d never seen this door or these stairs before. Had they been hidden? Was she just not observant enough? He walked up the steps and went inside, the entrance so small that he had to duck to fit through. She went inside, looking around. It opened up into a single room, spacious enough not to feel cramped. He’d moved the mattress in there while she was gone, laying an old, moth-eaten blanket over top of it. A rickety-looking chair was in the corner, but he sat down in it with no problems. She smiled, sitting down on the bed.

“This is…better than out there,” he said, looking around and avoiding her eyes. She felt her heart squeeze and nodded. 

“Yes,” she agreed, laying back on the bed and stretching. He got up, kneeling down beside her to examine the ever-growing bump of her stomach. She looked down, noticing it had grown again. Perhaps this would be over faster than she’d expected. After all, it had only been eleven or twelve hours since she’d felt the glowing pressure. 

“Put your hand on it,” she said, “You can feel it pulsing.”

Pennywise looked unsure, but she grabbed his gloved hand and placed it on the bump. He was frozen, waiting. The gentle beat caught his attention and he looked at her with a strange expression of both awe and nervousness. He laid down beside her, curling up and resting his head on the bump to listen to the beats. She smirked as he purred loudly and stroked his hair, feeling the fatigue from earlier return. Her eyes grew heavy and she slipped into a deep sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She said, make me a bird, I'll fly away  
> Beyond the confines of the sick, sick game.
> 
> Elektrik People, "Make Me A Bird"

August 22nd

 

Against Pennywise’s wishes, Lara did the hunting for a few weeks, forcing him to focus on healing and figuring out how they were going to deal with the kids that had injured him. They spent such little time away from the group that picking them off one by one would be difficult and they could come back with even two missing members, still strong enough to cause problems. He knew that Lara was eager to act, especially after the girl had shoved the pike through his face. She’d wanted to go after her the day it happened, but he convinced her that they’d be expecting it and it was too dangerous. 

The offspring was being particularly hard on her body. It pained him to watch her struggle to move and when she ate, she often vomited everything before it could be absorbed.   
Her belly was distended noticeably, and if they watched long enough they could see little fingers making indentions on the skin. The last few days, she’d been unable to leave the inside of the stage car and he’d had to feed her bits and pieces of the food he brought back. The normally stout, muscly creature was a shell of her former being, looking gaunt and weak. 

Laying down on the mattress, her breathing was in short bursts from the tremendous pressure on her stomach. She heard loud noises coming from outside the stage car, almost like fireworks, and then Pennywise’s teasing laugh. Slowly, she rolled to her side and stood up on shaky legs, shuffling to the door that led out. In the middle of the cistern, she saw the clown gripping the little brat who’d stabbed him by the throat, growling at her. She watched as he spoke to her, his words unintelligible, and suddenly his face seemed to open completely, wider than she’d ever seen. It split on each side and floated ominously, whatever was in his mouth illuminating the girl’s face. Her eyes grew dull and he released her, letting her body float up into the air over the cement. His face stitched itself back together and he chuckled to himself, then walked over towards the stage car. An evil grin was plastered on his face when he approached, and his eyes lit up when he saw his mate standing.

“What did you do to her?” Lara asked, looking back to the girl frozen in the air.

“I made her float,” his low, grim voice said as he laughed, “Without her, they’re nothing. She’s the one that they need.”

“They’ll come looking for her, they’ll know she’d down here,” Lara said.

“Exactly,” Pennywise said, sitting down on the steps. She leaned a hand on his shoulder and lowered herself to sit beside him.

“You think you can take them all? Alone?” she asked, swallowing hard. She didn’t want him fighting with these kids, not now, not when she was so weak and…useless. If something happened, she’d be on her own with a parasite that was slowly killing her. 

“Before they get down here, they’ll already be limping. I’ve got one of their adversaries on my side, whether he knows it or not,” Pennywise said, teeth chattering happily at the thought of handling the kids. He drooled thinking about how good they’d eat once they were all dead. Lara nuzzled closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arm around his. He could smell the fear and anxiety on her, intoxicating him.

“Little one, it will be fine,” he said, hoping that by saying it with a firmer voice she’d stop worrying. She just sighed and remained where she was, staring out at the floating girl. 

“Come lay with me,” she said softly, turning her head to look over at him. He stood, helping her to her feet and into a sitting position again when they got to the mattress. She leaned against the wall and he curled up beside her, resting his head on her belly to listen to the pulsing while he held it protectively in his large hands. Lara ran her fingers through his wild red hair and his purring was so loud that it made not only his body shake but her own as well. She didn’t want him to go out to the cistern, because she knew that if he went out there, there was a chance he wouldn’t come back in. 

“Pennywise?” her throat felt thick as she swallowed.

“Hm?” he purred from beneath her.

“I…I don’t think I’ve ever said this, and I’m not even sure if you’ll know what it means, but…I love you,” she said shakily. His purring stopped and he stilled, slowly raising his head to look at her with furrowed brows.

“Love?” he asked. He’d heard the word before, even smelled it on humans. It was sugary, not in a good way. Too much, like drowning something in syrup. He sniffed at her, nose twitching, and sure enough, he could smell it on her body. What it meant, he wasn’t quite sure.

“Yes,” she explained, “Humans feel it toward each other when they spend a lot of time with one person, and they don’t want to be away from them. They chose to be with them all the time. There are ceremonies and things that they do to show others that they’re in love, but they’re pointless really. The important part of it is that they feel it towards another human and they always feel that way. Sometimes they think they love a certain human, but it goes away.”

“Will it go away? From you?” he asked. She shook her head.

“No, I don’t think so. I can tell,” she said, petting his head again.

“So love is… choosing a mate?” he asked, face scrunching in thought. 

“Yes, essentially. Usually when humans love each other they’ll produce offspring. Not always, but sometimes they do,” she continued. 

“Oh,” he said, still thinking about everything she said, “Then…I feel that way too. You’re my mate.”

She smiled, knowing that tears were going to spill from her eyes soon enough. He was an intelligent being, probably more intelligent than anything on Earth was, but his ignorance in basic human emotions was comical. Obviously, he knew what they were, but to not experience any of them, or at least not know that he was experiencing them, was strange to her. Some of her brothers and sisters were like that, so animalistic that they had no idea what it was to feel anything more than hatred. Pennywise didn’t seem like that. He didn’t go out of his way to kill humans, they were his food source. All he did was behave as any being would, eating to survive and handling a threat to his livelihood. 

He sat up, sniffing at the air, a grim smile spreading across his face as he looked at her. She knew what it meant; they were here. Her heart hammered in her chest as he stood up, drooling spilling from his lips.

“Little one, it is important that you stay here. No matter what you hear,” he said, his orange eyes deepening to red. She nodded. 

“Pennywise, be careful,” she said. He smiled at her and skulked out, leaving her alone. 

 

An hour or so went by, and she heard nothing. There was an occasional scream, but nothing from Pennywise, which she hoped was a good sign. Soon enough though, she heard their voices in the cistern. They were frantically trying to help their floating friend and much to her dismay, they appeared to get her down. She listened as a new voice spoke, a younger child’s, addressing one of the kids. It was difficult to make out what was said, but she became even more worried when she heard Pennywise’s voice, because he sounded like he was bargaining, something that he never did. Apparently a deal wasn’t struck, and she heard him snarl at them. More snarls and the sound of blows landing filled the room; Lara decided that she’d had enough sitting around. She stood up to a murderous clown that tried to kill her, survived an exorcism, and convinced the Devil himself to let her live. There was no way she was going to sit around and let her mate fight alone. 

Her body had other ideas. She struggled to get up and walk to the door, forcing out her claws, teeth, tail, and wings. Stumbling down the steps to the cement, she rounded the pile to see them all ganging up on Pennywise, each taking swings at him. He tried unsuccessfully to transform into each of their fears, but they were unfazed. Rage coursed through her veins and she snapped her wings open, lifting herself high into the air. She circled overhead, diving down at them and screeching.

“What the fuck is that?!” one of the yelled, ducking down as she swooped towards them. 

“It’s not real!” another yelled, making her laugh. 

“I’ll show you real,” she hissed at them, diving down and grabbing the girl by her shoulders, digging the talons of her feet into them.

“Bev!” they called to her. She struggled in Lara’s grasp, and the added weight forced her to fly lower. Lara watched as Pennywise regained the upper hand, mowing through their   
attempts of overpowering him.

“You can’t be afraid of it! He can’t win if you’re not afraid!” the same one from before yelled, and Lara recognized him as the boy who had tried to go after Pennywise in the house. The girl, Bev, wrenched free of Lara’s grasp and crashed to the cement. They didn’t pay attention to her, though, too focused on beating Pennywise. She watched him fall back against the edge of an opening in the floor, unsure of where it went. He was sputtering and shaking, and Lara watched as little tears floated into the air. 

“You’re the one who’s scared now, because you’re going to starve,” the boy said. Pennywise flipped backwards and was hanging onto the edge of the opening, near falling. 

“No!” she screamed, diving down to the ground to try to grab him. It was too late, and she watched as bits of his head dissipated into the air as he fell down into the opening. The kids looked shell shocked, and she landed on her feet, struggling to see where Pennywise had gone. 

“You wretched little bastards!” she screamed at them, her claws growing longer than they’d ever been, “I’ll gut each of you sniveling maggots!”

She charged at one of them, gripping him close and digging her nails into his arms. They shouted, ready to run at her.

“Stay back! Or I’ll drop him down there!” she pulled the boy towards the opening that Pennywise had fallen into. Her mistake was turning her head to look where she was walking. That was all it took for one of them to grab a piece of scrap metal and charge at her. The only saving grace was that she spun around fast enough to see it coming, but the metal still pierced her shoulder, coming straight through right over her left breast. An animalistic howl left her as the pain paralyzed her. She let go of the boy she held onto and looked behind her to see Eddie still gripping the metal before he scurried back to the group. Her feet stumbled backward and she landed on the cement, struggling to open her wing. The metal had pinned it to her back though, and she lay there, feeling the strength leave her body.

“Let’s get out of here!” one of them yelled, and the sound of footsteps signaled that they were gone. Unable to move her left arm, she lifted her right, placing it on her stomach. The pulse was still there and she was relieved the metal hadn’t pierced her womb. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to figure out what to do. With Pennywise gone, she was on her own, and thanks to the little spawns, she was even more incapacitated than before. She was going to starve. Where was the vigor she’d had before? The adrenaline? None of her other triumphs seemed important anymore. When she was really needed, she failed. He was gone. Now she would be alone again. Even if she survived this and didn’t get forced back into the pit, she’d have no mate. It would be better if she died, give in and let her father destroy her. She’d rather be dead than live the rest of her days without him.

 

November 11th 

Short, strained little wheezes escaped from the chapped lips of something that resembled a skeleton more than anything else. Skin clung to atrophied muscle and brittle bones, the only thing looking relatively healthy being the large bump of a stomach. Lara strained her head to look for something to eat. The only reason she’d survived this long was because of the half-eaten bodies dropping to the ground in the cistern when Pennywise disappeared. Several had landed close enough that she could drag herself to them. The meat was old, rotting, rancid. It offered no sustenance, no nutrients or energy. Anything that it did have went straight to the thing growing inside her. She still couldn’t believe that it hadn’t died. The pulse was just as strong as the first day that she’d felt it. It had grown large and she figured that it would be soon that she’d finally get to meet it. Her heart ached, thinking of the short, painful life it would have. She wouldn’t be able to hunt for it or bring it food. She couldn’t even feed herself, never mind the little monster that would need a steady supply of fresh meat. 

The metal was still sticking out of her shoulder. Every so often she would strain to dislodge it a little further, but she still have so much of it to remove and so little strength. Old blood and puss dripped from it, signaling an infection. All she needed was a decent meal, something that wasn’t already dead, and she knew she could get it out. But she was too weak to get a decent meal, and the only way to not be weak was to eat. There was no way she was coming out of this successful. Things looked bleak.   
She spent the better part of a day clawing her way towards the pile of toys. The body of a girl was beside it and had more meat on it than she’d had yet. Gasping, she forced herself into a sitting position, propping her back against the pile. It pushed the metal further out, making her scream, but now there wasn’t as much to go. With her good hand, she tore into the flesh of the girl and inhaled it, stomach rumbling in response. She could feel some strength returning to her beaten down body and knew that she had to try to get the metal out again. Bringing her hand to rest on it, she bit down on her lip and pulled. It slid almost all the way out, and she could feel fresh blood gushing from the wound, dripping down her back. The pain was unbearable, forcing her to stop and pant for breath. 

A new, sharper pain shot through her body, but it wasn’t from her shoulder. It radiated from her stomach, traveling right up her spine and taking her breath away. She knew what it was, and her weak heart pounded as a new wave of fear washed over her. The pain she was going to feel was only going to get worse from here, and she could feel panic setting in. She did her best to spread her legs and bring them up towards her chest. Another wave of pain rolled over her and she cried out, gasping. It waned and she braced herself for the next one. 

Within her body, she could feel the shift. The little creature was pushing downwards, making its way out of her womb towards the world. Her body trembled and every nerve felt like it was on fire. All she wanted was Pennywise. He was supposed to be here to make sure that everything was okay, not dead in the bottom of a sewage drain somewhere. A realization came to her mind; if he was really gone, this tiny being currently ripping through her insides would be the only thing she’d have left to remember him. It was her responsibility to make sure that it lived; she owed him that. 

She felt a new resolve and was determined to push through this. The time for pity and mourning was over, now she had to get it together. Her pain slowly descended from her stomach to her lower abdomen until it settled right in her pelvis. It wouldn’t be long now. She took a deep breath and pushed, feeling it shift down slightly.

“Come on, come on,” she panted, gritting her teeth and pushing again. Despite the cold air in the sewer, sweat beaded on her forehead and dripped down to her neck. She stopped, sucking in another breath, and pushing. Red hot pain seared her juncture as her flesh tore. Without knowing what it would look like, there was no telling its shape. She just hoped it was narrow enough not to split her completely in half. 

She pushed again, feeling weaker. There was no way she could do this much longer. Her body was so deprived, so broken and hurt. She didn’t want to let her mate down, wherever her was, but it all seemed so impossible. A gush of hot liquid poured from her, and she gave another push, feeling the little thing move further out. Reaching her hand as far she could, she felt around. Her fingers landed on a head and tiny shoulders. Halfway there. She could make it a little more. Harder she pushed, holding out as long as she could before sucking in air. Her entire lower half burned, skin and muscles stretching too far. She was dizzy from the exertion and felt her eyes flutter shut for a moment, trying to find it within herself to continue. In her mind, she pictured how Pennywise would look, staring at their creation; how he would be in awe of how she produced this little thing, equal parts him and her, and how proud he would be. 

She sobbed, breath catching in her throat. One more push, and it was all over. The pain dulled, air filled her lungs, and she sighed in relief. She didn’t hear any noise, though. No cries, no growls or whines. Something had to be wrong. Peeking over the now-smaller bump of her stomach, she saw the little thing, covered in goo. It was still, making not the slightest movement. Dread filled her, and she knew that she had to do something, but first she needed both arms. Leaning forward, she slammed her left shoulder into the pile of toys, and a new wave of pain overtook her exhausted body. The metal was almost out now, and she grabbed it with her right hand and ripped it from her. More pain, stinging, and warm blood trickling down her chest, but she was free. She wiggled the fingers of her left arm, and even though they were stiff, they still functioned enough to be useful.

She bent down and scooped up the tiny thing, feeling limp in her hands. Rubbing little circles in its chest, she tried to get its lungs working. Gently, she flipped it onto its stomach and rested it on her thigh, holding its chest. She patted its back, hoping it would spit out whatever was stopping it from making noise. There was still silence, and she pursed her lips, tears pouring from her face. If this little thing didn’t survive, she would have nothing left to keep her on this floating rock, and that was a scary thought. 

There was a little cough, so quiet that if she’d been anywhere but an empty sewer, she wouldn’t have heard it. Then a gurgle, and a croak, and more coughing. She rubbed its back again and watched it cough up more slime. Pulling it close, she examined it, for the first time actually taking in what it looked like. 

The skin was light gray, not as dark as her granite shade, but still not the off-white of Pennywise’s face. There was a tiny tail, but the barb wasn’t developed yet, and its toes and fingers were longer than a human baby’s. She didn’t see any wings, but it was probably too young for those. Maybe when it got older. It had large eyes that burned bright orange and tiny little fangs that stuck out from lips that were still tinged blue. Lara thought that it was a boy, but as it matured, it would develop its reproductive organs. For now, it was just a fledgling; a hybrid of two beings that had no business producing offspring. The more she watched it, the more apparent two red marks over its orange eyes became, matching those of its father. It let out garbled growls, soft and innocent, flashing the tiny teeth. Lara couldn’t help but smile at it, absolutely amazed. 

“You must be hungry,” she whispered. She looked at the rotting corpses. There was no way she was tainting this beautiful thing’s body with that garbage. Her claw reached up, slicing a shallow cut over her breast. She brought the creature to the it, letting it latch on and feed. It purred happily, the way Pennywise had. 

She had no idea what the hell she was going to do with this little thing, but she knew that she had to get it out of the dirty sewers. Her body screamed in protest as she stood up, letting the little thing continue feeding. Slowly, she limped to the stage car, retrieving her backpack of clothes and money, and set off down the drainpipe towards The Barrens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who read and left kudos! I'll be taking a short break from this story, but don't fear, there will definitely be a sequel. Did you really think Lara was going to let The Loser's Club get away with 'killing' her mate? If you have any thoughts, comments, or questions, feel free to leave them below or submit an ask on my blog: https://beepbeeptimetofloat.tumblr.com/


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